Lawyers in Negros Oriental have condemned last Friday’s shooting of lawyer Archer Baldwin Martinez, which led to his death some two hours later at a Dumaguete City hospital.
In an emergency meeting last Saturday, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Negros Oriental Chapter, passed a resolution urging the National IPB, Supreme Court and the Department of Justice to help in solving the murder of Martinez and other lawyers in the country.
“We believe that the killing of Martinez was case-related because he was a good man who had no problems in his dealings with others,” IBP Negros Oriental President Arturo Dupio said.
So far, police have yet to name a suspect in Friday’s attack, which happened inside Martinez’ office at the second floor of the Leq Tak Building corner San Jose and Sta. Catalina Streets at 11 a.m.
Martinez, 48, was shot thrice in the chest and was rushed to the Holy Child Hospital where doctors later pronounced him dead.
Dupio said lawyers in Negros Oriental will be wearing black arm bands starting Monday until the burial of Martinez.
He said the IBP would also seek an audience with the Provincial PNP Director, the Governor, the Chief of Police of Dumaguete City and the Dumaguete City Mayor to find ways to hasten the solution of Martinez’ killing.
“This incident affects not just lawyers–it affects us all,” Dupio said.
Governor Roel Degamo and Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria, on the other hand, issued strong statements condemning the killing. Gov. Degamo described the killing as a cowardly act. “No amount of anger can justify the taking of a man’s life,” he said.
Sagarbarria, on the other hand, said the killing of Martinez was a shock to the peace-loving residents of Dumaguete, known by the monicker of “the City of Gentle People.”
The two political leaders urged the police and other law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to solve the case.
Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas said that they still do not have a suspect but they are inclined to look into the angle that the killing was related to the cases that the lawyer was handling.
The lawyer, Lawas noted, was killed inside his own office by a person who was pretending to be a client wearing a dark baseball cap and a white t-shirt.
Lawyer Cynthia Sulit-Portugaleza, Martinez’ law partner, was in their office at that time, along with their staff and other clients. Their desks were separated by a divider.
“We heard three very loud blasts. We did not know where the sound came from, and neither did we know it was gunfire but everyone ducked for cover,” Portugaleza said.
It took about ten minutes before they noticed that Martinez was already slumped on his desk. “That was when we learned that the gunshots came from inside our office and that it was Martinez who was shot,” Portugaleza said.
Martinez was taken to the hospital by his secretary, Vincenzo Galera, and a traffic aide.
Portugaleza said she does not know if Martinez had been handling a sensitive case.
Lawyer Raymund Mercado, past governor of IBP West Visayas, said he, too, is unaware of cases that Martinez was handling which could have endangered his life. “What I know is that he handled many cases and had clients from distant places, like Guihulngan City,” Mercado said. Guihulngan City is 116 kilometers north of Dumaguete.
Police recovered three shells of a .45 caliber pistol and two live bullets at the crime scene.
Martinez taught at the Foundation University College of Law and was the incumbent vice president of the IBP Negros Oriental Chapter. He was also Past President of the Rotary Club of Dumaguete South.
This is the fourth attack on a lawyer in Negros Oriental in the last two years.
It can be recalled that Eliezer Casipong, a lawyer for the Department of Agrarian Reform, was gunned down as he was driving a motorcycle on his way home to Sibulan town on January 30 2009.
Bayawan City Councilor Victoriano Alabastro was attacked by a would-be assailant as he was waiting by a car wash in Bayawan City on January 31 2010. Luckily, the gun jammed and Alabastro was unharmed. But there was a second attempt on Alabastro’s life. This was last June 24, when two gunmen walked up to his car as he was driving home from the Norsu Bayawan-Sta. Catalina campus after Alabastro’s evening classes and pumped several bullets on his window, which grazed his stomach.