Mindanao lawyers condemn ‘chilling’ assassination of Basilan judge

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A network of lawyers in Mindanao has strongly condemned the dawn assassination of a Basilan regional trial court judge in Zamboanga City, calling the ambush a “chilling strike” against the region’s judiciary.

Judge Joseph Wee Sit of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 2 in Basilan was driving through Barangay Tumaga shortly after 5 a.m. on Thursday when two men on a motorcycle drove up beside his vehicle and opened fire.

Initial police reports indicated that investigators found his car riddled with bullet holes and recovered eight spent shell casings at the crime scene.

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READ: Hataman condemns killing of RTC judge, demands swift justice

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“This cowardly attack in broad daylight is not merely an assault on an individual magistrate— it is a direct, chilling strike against the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in Mindanao,” the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) said in an emailed statement.

The lawyers’ group warned that the brazen murder sends a message of terror intended to intimidate judges, prosecutors, and court personnel from discharging their duties.

“No magistrate should ever have to pay with their life for upholding the law,” the group added.

Demanding swift accountability, the UPLM challenged the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice to launch an exhaustive probe.

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They pressed authorities to look beyond the gunmen captured on security cameras and unmask the masterminds, specifically urging investigators to examine the sensitive and high-profile cases handled by Wee Sit in Basilan.

READ: Basilan RTC judge killed in Zamboanga City ambush

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The group also appealed to the Supreme Court and the executive department to urgently institutionalize proactive security protocols for court officers across Mindanao, especially those handling high-risk dockets.

“UPLM stands firmly with the judiciary and the people of Basilan and Zamboanga in demanding justice,” the group stated. “We will closely monitor the developments of this case and will not allow the murder of Judge Joseph Wee Sit to become just another unresolved statistic in the culture of impunity.” /coa