Killings in Philippines make justice a dangerous ambition
MANILA: Jose Bernas considers himself extremely lucky. In May last
year, two gunmen posing as journalists tried to kill him inside his
office here. Bernas survived only because he had managed to block the
path to his office; as he and the assailants struggled for control of
the door, one of them fired his gun through it but missed Bernas.
The men fled, leaving behind the shaken but otherwise unscathed lawyer.
Gil
Gojol was not as fortunate. A lawyer known for representing several
victims of human-rights abuses, Gojol and his driver were shot and
killed in Bicol, a region south of Manila, on Dec. 12. His colleagues
believed the murders had something to do with a human-rights case Gojol
was handling at the time.
