The Pasig City Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) received email messages containing death threats against two judges on Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court (SC) confirmed on Thursday, July 17.
One of the email messages received at 8:48 a.m. on July 16 stated: “Mag-ingat ang mga judges ng Pasig Hall of Justice ngayong July 16 mayroong dalawa sa kanila ang babarilin sa kalagitnaan ng hearing. Maging mapagmatyag mga hukom ang target naming ngayong araw.”
Another message stated: “Nakapwesto na ang mga gunman. Wag magbakasakali. Lumikas na agad.”
The two RTC judges who were subjects of death threats were not named in the email messages.
Last July 16 and as of the time of this posting, no untoward incident has been reported in the Pasig Hall of Justice involving judges or court officials and personnel.
Upon receipt of the email messages and following standard security protocols, the SC’s Office of the Spokesperson said that the Pasig City RTC officials immediately coordinated with the Pasig City Police which dispatched a SWAT team to secure the safety of judges, court personnel, court users, and the public.
The SC, through the Office of the Judiciary Marshals, swiftly launched an investigation, in coordination with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group and the National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Cybercrime Division.
It said the probe aims to identify and apprehend the perpetrator and pursue the appropriate legal actions.
“To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and the safety of those concerned, further details remain confidential at this time,” it said
It also said that the judiciary remains committed to upholding judicial independence, and judges will continue to carry out their duties with integrity and calm resolve, guided by fairness and the rule of law.
It then urged the public and all stakeholders “to remain vigilant and to continue supporting the judicial process with trust and respect.” (Rey Panaligan)
