Judge inhibits from slain Calbayog mayor’s case

CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines — Two days after granting bail to the nine accused in the murder of Calbayog City mayor Ronaldo Aquino and three others, Judge Maricar Lucero inhibited herself from the case.

In her order of inhibition, Lucero – through the Regional Trial Court Branch 31 of Calbayog City – asked the Supreme Court to allow her “perpetual inhibition” in all cases involving lawyer Alma Uy-Lampasa.

Uy-Lampasa, private prosecutor in the Aquino murder case, sought Lucero’s voluntary inhibition immediately after the judge granted bail to the respondents.

The defendants are former police officers who were dismissed from the service due to their alleged involvement in the crime.

Lucero said that since the start of the case, Uy-Lampasa had repeatedly compromised the sub judice rule by giving interviews to the media, not only about the proceedings but also the merits of the case.

She said Uy-Lampasa’s pronouncements about the case through media interviews “negatively affected the court as it conditioned the minds of the supporters of Aquino that there will be no other acceptable verdict on these cases other than her announcement of guilt of all the accused.”

Lucero said she was bombarded with threats online, which subjected her to public humiliation, and compromised her life and integrity including of her family.