Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas have called on authorities to swiftly resolve the recent stabbing incident in Iloilo City, involving a human rights lawyer.
“I am very much alarmed by the incident involving one of the lawyers along General Luna Street. Lawyers only do their function to protect their clients. As a lawyer myself, this is doubly important for me to be solved,” Treñas said in a statement.
“I call on our (Philippine National Police) to do everything possible to resolve this at the earliest possible time,” he added.
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. also condemned the stabbing of Atty. Angelo Karlo Guillen, assistant vice president for the Visayas of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL).
“Isa na sa mga bagay nga way nagakatabo sa aton sa Iloilo. No reason can justify that. Amo na siya ka-simple sang panan-aw naton da kag justice should be served para sa sina nga nagakalatabo diri sa aton,” he said in a press conference.
Defensor, also a lawyer, refused to speculate about the motive behind the attack perpetrated by two unidentified men at around 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3, near Ferri Mar Hotel in Barangay Villa Anita, City Proper.
“As lawyer it’s not fair for me to say ukon mag-espekular kon ano ang motibo sina. Indi ka gid sina makasiling kon wala pa sang imbestigasyon nga nahimu,” he said.
Guillen, 33, was mauled and stabbed with a screwdriver by masked suspects, according to a report from the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO). He sustained wounds in the temple and neck.
The culprits then took Guillen’s bag containing a laptop and case files.
The victim was rushed to St Paul’s Hospital Iloilo for treatment and was already in stable condition as of Thursday, March 4.
Guillen serves as legal counsel of members of the indigenous people’s groups Tumandok, who were arrested in Capiz and Iloilo on Dec. 30 last year.
He is also a lawyer in one of the petitions filed before the Supreme Court against the controversial anti-terror law. Angelique Amira Jabian/IMT
