For all the furor that his death caused, everyone who knew Atty. Archer Baldwin Martinez in life, agreed that he is a person with no known personal enemies. He was the ultimate nice guy, God-fearing person, civic-minded leader, devoted family man, doting father, and a very professional compañero.
The leads being investigated with regards to solving his murder are closely related to the cases he handled.
Every case has a complainant and a defendant, and each side is entitled to a lawyer. The Visayan word for lawyer is manlalaban.
Ug kinsay mobayad, maoy labanan. (The one who pays is the one the manlalaban defends or whose cause is taken up by the manlalaban.)
The lawyer is an advocate for his client’s cause. Archer, was a private practitioner, who was good at this craft.
The process of providing lawyers to each party is enshrined in our Constitution, as part of the due process requirement. Each side must have the opportunity to be heard. This is our democratic system because “truth has many faces — his truth, their truth, my truth, indeed, truth has many faces,” as stated by the late Dean Coronel. After both sides are heard, the judge decides.
So what must have driven a litigant to kill a lawyer? Did he think it would solve his problem or avenge his perceived injury? This is where it is evil and wrong to think that the killing of a lawyer would solve the problem. Because the other party can just hire another lawyer! The case will proceed as if nothing happened.
So did Archer die in vain? No, his death highlighted the breakdown of respect for the rule of law, and an affront to our democratic way of life. It was a desperate attempt by some misguided persons to rely on the barrel of the gun to seek revenge.
This has to stop. This is a problem the whole community should be involved in implementing measures to strengthen the deterrents to crime and to punish the perpetrators.
It is the community that is alert and involved who can support the authorities in their crime prevention program. Someone in the community knows the killer and his mastermind, there is always someone who knows.
And this is the reason why there is a reward for any information about the murder of Archer. Anyone who knows may contact the authorities or any close associate who can assist in solving the crime. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be properly charged and prosecuted. No one is above the law.
Our prayers and condolences to the family of Atty. Archer Martinez, from all of us who knew you, loved and respected you for your dedication as a lawyer.
