IBP offers P200,000 reward for info on killing of Palawan lawyer
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has offered a P200,000 reward for information that will lead to the resolution of the recent killing of lawyer Joshua Lavega Abrina in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
In an advisory, the IBP said its Board of Governors had agreed to offer the money as “a reward for credible information leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of the perpetrators.”
It said the reward is part of its determination to support ongoing investigations and to ensure that justice is not denied.
It added that its Committee on Security for Legal Profession has started coordinating with the Philippine National Police and other relevant agencies.
“The IBP remains steadfast in its duty to safeguard the members of the legal profession and to uphold the rule of law,” it assured.
Last Sept. 17, Abrina was gunned down by an unidentified assailant in front of his residence in Palawan.
The IBP said the violence against lawyers “chills advocacy, discourages the defense of the vulnerable, and normalizes the notion that disputes are settled not in courtrooms, but at the barrel of a gun.”
It declared: “Violence cannot be allowed to diminish our lawyer’s oath, nor threats to silence the pursuit of justice. To yield is to betray not only our profession, but also the people we are sworn to serve.”