By Paulo Loreto Lim

Following the decision by San Carlos City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Danilo Amisola to dismiss three counts of murder and one count of frustrated murder against Negros Occidental Rep. Melecio Yap, the attorney for the families of the alleged extrajudicial killings victims, Atty. Renecio Espiritu, Jr., called into question the judge’s “fairness.”
“The circumstances starting January 13 when the cases were received by the San Carlos RTC are questionable to say the least,” said Espiritu. “In a ‘fair and speedy trial,’ Judge Amisola was only speedy, but his fairness we seriously doubt.”
He said he plans on filing an administrative case against the judge.
The lawyer also plans on bringing the case before congress, where Yap represents the first district of Negros Occidental.
“We expect our officials in Congress to help us seek justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings in Escalante City,” Espiritu stated.
He had previously requested a change of venue for the case, claiming the congressman carried influence in the area, and preferred the case be tried in Bacolod City.
“We just want to preserve the integrity of the legal system,” Espiritu said at the time.
The case stems back to a series of murders that began ten years ago, when Yap was serving as mayor of Escalante City. There have been a recorded 28 alleged victims of extrajudicial killings in the city since 2007./WDJ