ShareThisMANILA – Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima disclosed that lawyers and judges with death threats will be allowed to carry firearms.
De Lima made the statement as her expression of support to arm the judges and lawyers in order to defend themselves against any threats.
She said that the judges and lawyers were the targets of criminal elements because of the nature of their work and the cases they handle.
De Lima also urged lawyers and judges to participate in activities such as practical shooting.
Data gathered by the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) showed that 15 judges and lawyers were victims of assassination in 2009.
Meantime, the mass action of the judges began on Monday as a show of their protest against the budget cut in the Judiciary.
Out of the proposed P27.1-billion budget for the year 2011 of the Judiciary, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only approved P14.3 billion.
Philippine Judges Association (PJA) president Judge Antonio Eugenio noted that the budget of the Judiciary has not been increased since the year 2007.