Lawyers group mourns Cebu judge killed in crash

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Thursday mourned the death of a Cebu judge who was killed in a road crash, while calling for stronger traffic safety measures.

The IBP urged national and local authorities to enforce existing traffic laws with greater urgency and discipline following the death of Judge Carmela Rosario Pasquin, 41, presiding judge of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) in Cebu province.

Reports showed that Pasquin died early Wednesday after being thrown from a motorcycle she was riding in the town of Pinamungajan. She was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital.

Pasquin was the backrider on a motorcycle driven by court processor Eric Gelizon Lanzarate, 48, when they collided with another motorcycle on the national highway at approximately 6:55 a.m.

According to police, the crash occurred when the preceding motorcycle, driven by 19-year-old Mark James Cabiling, suddenly made a left turn, which Lanzarate failed to avoid. The judge sustained serious injuries after being thrown onto the concrete pavement.

In an official statement, the IBP expressed its sympathies to Pasquin’s family and colleagues, calling her death “a stark reminder that justice is often pursued on roads less protected.”

The organization also emphasized the need for consistent enforcement of traffic laws to prevent similar tragedies, stressing that “the country’s traffic laws are not wanting; their implementation is.”