Press Release
April 25, 2012

KIKO CONDEMNS RECENT SPATE OF RAMPANT CRIMINALITY

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan calls on the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to quickly resolve the slaying of Judge Henry D. Arles, Executive Judge of Regional Trial Court of Branch 61.

Arles was murdered in Barangay Manalad Ilog, Negros Occidental by a gunman riding a motorcycle.

"We urge authorities to put a stop to senseless killings such as this. There have been a number of slays perpetrated with brazenness and impunity. The PNP and the NBI, together with the Judiciary, must exhaust all efforts to put a stop to these horrendous acts."

A judge since 1999, Judge Arles was an awardee of Judicial Excellence in 2008, as well as the Chief Justice Ramon Avancena Awardee for Judicial Excellence in 2008.

Pangilinan also alarmed over the strafing of the house of veteran journalist and professor Randy David.

Pangilinan earlier called for the swift resolution of senseless killings against media practitioners and the immediate prosecution of those responsible.

"We will say this over and over again: it is the certainty of criminal punishment that will put a stop to these killings. We have lost too many lives to senseless crimes. We must put an end to this now lest people completely lose faith in our justice system."

The lawmaker adds, "We must speed up the conviction rates in our court system. The average case life of six years emboldens those with criminal intent to pursue their nefarious aims. Only swift punishment of the guilty will ensure the impunity is defeated."

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