Pasay court seeks replacement for Gingoyon

The chief judge of the Pasay City regional trial court (RTC) has asked the Supreme Court to immediately assign an acting judge to the branch left vacant by Judge Henrick Gingoyon who was murdered on New Year’s Eve.

Citing the volume of cases pending before Branch 117, RTC Executive Judge Caridad Grecia-Cuerdo said these cases "need immediate action of the court."

Cuerdo noted the cases were already scheduled for hearing of applications for preliminary injunction and as such should be taken up immediately.

Lawyer Mary Jemelle Obispo, clerk of court of Branch 117, said Gingoyon’s pairing judge, Eleuterio Guerrero, was supposed to handle these cases.

Guerrero, however, became physically incapable after being injured in a car accident, prompting Cuerdo to make a formal request to the SC for acting judges to be detailed to Branches 117 and 116 where Guerrero is presiding.

"In the interest of service, it is hereby requested that acting judges be appointed and fill the salas of Judges Henrick Gingoyon and Eleuterio Guerrero at the soonest possible time," Cuerdo said in a letter to SC Administrator Presbitero Velasco Jr.

Obispo said they will surely miss Gingoyon who was known to treat all cases assigned to him equally.

"He was a man who was very passionate about his job. He didn’t sit on court cases, especially those involving suspects who were immediately detained. He gave equal amount of attention to all legal suits that fell under his sala. There were no big or small cases for him," Obispo said.

Gingoyon, 53, was gunned down as he was walking home from a gym workout in Bacoor, Cavite. Authorities have arrested seven suspects since then.

In the past, the judge had also dismissed several drug cases filed by a police officer after concluding the evidence had been "planted."

This is one motive for the killing being pursued by investigating officers.

Investigators confirmed there had been threats on Gingoyon’s life, though they have not tagged the still unnamed police officer for the killing.

Gingoyon reportedly told a friend that he wanted to leave the judiciary because of the threats.

Earlier this year, his house had been shot at and he sought help, suspecting that a chief of police in one of the towns of Cavite was behind the shootings.

In the wake of his murder, the Senate will resume its investigation into the spate of murders of judges, lawyers and other legal professionals that has earned the Philippines a reputation as "the most dangerous place for lawyers and judges," Sen. Manuel Villar earlier said.

Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on public order, earlier filed Senate Resolution 267 and directed his committee to conduct an investigation into the findings of the Netherlands-based International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) that ranked the Philippines as the most dangerous place for lawyers and judges. — Rhodina Villanueva