Bullet holes are seen at the driver’s side window of Lawyer Innocencio Dela Cerna’s sports utility vehicle. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines —The Integrated Bar of the Philippines- Cebu Chapter (IBP – Cebu) said the attempt on the life of fellow lawyer, Inocencio Dela Cerna, was an attack against the rule of law.
In a statement sent to CDN Digital by IBP Cebu president, Lawyer Ria Espina, on Monday afternoon, September 2, IBP-Cebu condemned Dela Cerna’s ambush at past 9 a.m. today.
Dela Cerna has just came from a court proceeding at the Cebu City Hall of Justice, which is at the Qimonda IT Center, for one of the cases that he handled when the incident happened.
Read more: IBP Cebu City to police: Protect our lawyers
The lawyer luckily survived the ambush and drove his vehicle to the Waterfront Police Station.
“The Integrated Bar of the Philippines – Cebu Chapter (IBP-Cebu) condemns in the strongest terms the attempted killing of Atty. Inocencio Dela Cerna outside the Quimonda Building, Cebu City Hall of Justice this morning,” IBP Cebu’s statement reads.
“This latest attack directed to a lawyer in the person of Atty. Dela Cerna, is not only an attack against the life of an officer of the court, but is also an assault to the rule of law and to the sensibilities of peace-loving Cebuanos,” it added.
IBP Cebu called on the police “to immediately solve this ambush and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Read more: Lawyer survives ambush outside Cebu City Hall of Justice
Lawyer Regal Oliva, IBP Cebu City Chapter president, earlier said they want to seek an audience with Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, Brigadier General Debold Sinas, to discuss measures on ensuring the safety of lawyers in Cebu.
Dela Cerna , however, is not the first lawyer ambushed in the vicinity of the court.
In February 2018, then Ronda then Vice Mayor and lawyer Jonah John Ungab was also killed in an ambush after attending the hearing of his client, alleged big-time drug lord Kerwin Espinosa./dbs