Local News: Querol Orders Security of Judges, Personnel with Threats Creates Task Group "Arles"

The killing of Kabankalan City RTC Judge Henry Arles by unidentified perpetrators prompted the PNP Regional Director , Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, Jr. to direct all chiefs of police in the region, to provide necessary security measures to the judges and court personnel within their respective areas of jurisdiction, and to create Task Group "Arles"

The incident had caused an alarm to the judicial community in the region and casted doubts on the credibility of the PNP to protect their fellows in the field of legal service.

Thus, Querol directed all Provincial/City Directors and Chiefs of Police to get the list of all judges and other court personnel with apparent threats to their lives in their respective areas of responsibility so that the PNP can provide necessary security measures for their safety.

Querol said, "we cannot just ignore this incident; we need to do something to protect our court personnel particularly our Judges, whose lives are always at risk especially when they are handling sensitive and high-profile cases."

Victim, Judge Arles, resident of Brgy. Alijis in Bacolod City was temporarily staying during weekdays with his brother-in-law, Lawrence Britanico at Brgy. Dancalan in Ilog in southern Negros Occidental.

At about 6:45 Tuesday evening while the judge was driving his Nissan Sentra on his way home to Dancalan, two unidentified suspects who were riding in a tricycle without plate number tailed his car and shot him upon reaching Brgy. Manalad in Ilog and immediately made a turn for escape toward the direction of Kabankalan City.

Ilog Municipal Police Station Alert Team responded and requested the Ilog Disaster Emergency Assistance Rescue (IDEAR) to bring the victim to Southern Doctor’s Hospital at Kabankalan, but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician at about 7:45 in the evening.

Immediately after the incident, all neighboring PNP units were alerted and conducted urgent checkpoint operations for the possible arrest of the suspects.

Querol also ordered Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office director, PSSupt Allan C Guisihan to create a Special Investigation Task Group for the expeditious arrest of the suspects by focusing on the in-depth investigation of the case.

Task Group "Arles" was formed yesterday by RD Querol tohasten the investigation, identify and arrest the suspect; look into the motives behind the killing, and look for other possible angles of the crime.

Task Group Arles is headed by SSupt. Allan Guisihan, NOPPO director; with Chief Insp. Cresencio Cordero of CIDG as deputy commander; Supt. Edhel Pereira- provincial legal officer; Supt. Noel Mana-ay - chief of investigation and detection management office, NOPPO;

Chief Insp. Rico Santotome - provincial information officer; Chief Insp. Ramonit Javier, of the provincial Crime Laboratory Office; Supt. Leonardo Angcon - chief of intelligence Section, NOPPO; Insp. Julio Torculas-chief, provincial intelligence office;

S/Insp. Joshua Villasis, police chief, Ilog Police Station; and Sr. Police Officer 1 Nolly Gudaca, investigator of the case.*