Negros judge gunned down

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – A regional trial court (RTC) judge in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, who had received various awards for his speedy disposition of cases, was gunned down by two attackers on board a tricycle along the national highway in Ilog town Tuesday night, police said.

Judge Henry Arles of the Kabankalan RTC Branch 61 was cruising Barangay Manalad onboard his Nissan Sentra when he was shot several times at around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, said Senior Inspector Joshua Villasis, Ilog police chief. 

Arles, 62, was rushed to a hospital in Kabankalan but was declared dead on arrival, Villasis said.

The victim was reportedly on his way home to Barangay Dancalan, also in Ilog town, when he was attacked, he said.

The gunmen, according to Villasis, overtook Arles’ car on the left side and when they came near, shot him three times.

Recovered at the crime scene were three cartridges of a still unknown caliber. These were brought to the police crime laboratory for examination and to determine the firearm used in the killing, he said.

Senior Superintendent Allan Guisihan, Negros Occidental police director, said he created Task Group Judge Arles headed by Superintendent Leo Irwin Agpangan to identify and arrest the gunmen.

Following the killing, Villasis said he immediately coordinated with nearby police stations to put up checkpoints to arrest Arles’ attackers, to no avail.

He said they have a witness in their custody but the witness has yet to identify the gunmen. Probers were still clueless on the motive behind the killing.

In 2008, Arles was one of four judges around the country given the Judicial Excellence Award as an outstanding RTC judge by the Supreme Court (SC).

Arles, conferred with the Chief Justice Ramon Avanceña Award, was cited for his drive for excellence that resulted in an impressive case disposition record.

Since joining the judiciary in 2000, Arles has posted an average monthly disposal of 47 cases, reducing the caseload of his sala from 1,037 in 2000 to 486 in 2008.

This feat also earned him an award from the Rotary Club of Manila for having the highest disposition of cases in Western Visayas, the Judicial Excellence Award from the Negros Occidental RTC Judges Association, and the International Star Award from the Knights of Columbus.

He was also among the judges with the highest disposition of cases in the country, based on records of the SC court administrator. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe