Judge’s slay: Case solved before interment?

NATIVIDAD, Pangasinan — Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao promised to the family of slain Pasay City Judge Estrellita Paas that the police will try their best to solve the case before her interment this Sunday.

Lomibao came here last Wednesday to condole with the Paas family and to check the progress of the investigation into the judge’s slaying.

Lomibao said he gave instructions to Senior Superintendent Alan Purisima, provincial police director, to explore all possible leads and motives behind the gruesome killing.

Paas, 61, presiding judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 44 of Pasay City, was stabbed in the nape and head and her hands were tied behind her back with a wire.

Her husband, lawyer Reinerio Paas, found her body inside the comfort room of their residence in Barangay Poblacion West here, when he returned home after attending a school’s induction program last Friday afternoon.

Investigators suspect that Paas was attacked after her husband left home past 1 p.m. that day. She was alone in the house when the incident occurred.

"I talked to (Paas’) son and his desire is for the case to at least be solved or to have some leads prior to the interment on Sunday," Lomibao told reporters.

"So I promised the son that we will try our best to identify the (killers) and if we cannot file the case yet, at least to determine (their) motives so we can facilitate the filing of the case," he said.

Lomibao said the police are following up some leads and "hopefully before the interment, we will be able to fulfill our promise to the family that we will be able to solve the case."

He said there is no longer a need to form a special task force because Purisima is on top of the investigation.

He said the Paas family has also requested the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to take part in the investigation.

Lomibao, however, said he has advised Purisima to talk with the NBI and the Paas family so there will be only one lead agency in the investigation. — With Cesar Ramirez