SC demands justice for slain judge
A judge was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding gunmen on Tumaga-Putik Road in Barangay Tumaga, Zamboanga City, early Thursday as he was driving to the port to catch a ferry to his court in Isabela City, Basilan.
Judge Joseph M. Wee Sit, presiding judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 2 in Isabela City, was attacked at about 5:25 a.m. on 12 November. The assailants overtook his vehicle and opened fire, leaving eight .45-caliber shells at the scene, according to the Zamboanga City Police Office.
Wee Sit was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead about an hour later. Police Regional Office 9 director Brig. Gen. Elmer Ragay activated a Special Investigation Task Group to find the gunmen and establish the motive.
The Supreme Court, through the Office of the Judiciary Marshals, is coordinating with law enforcement agencies in the investigation.
Violence against judges threatens the justice system by intimidating magistrates and undermining their ability to decide cases independently, the High Tribunal said.
Chief Justice Rodil V. Zalameda directed the Office of the Court Administrator, through the regional court manager and executive judge, to provide financial and institutional assistance to Wee Sit’s family.
The Philippine National Police said it was following all possible leads and appealed to witnesses and anyone with relevant information to contact the nearest police station or PRO9.
Shortened stint
Wee Sit, who was born on 21 November 1987 in Zamboanga City, studied law at Western Mindanao State University and passed the bar in 2015. He served as a prosecutor and public attorney before his appointment to the judiciary on 23 September 2025.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) condemned the killing as an attack on the rule of law and judicial independence, urging the police and the National Bureau of Investigation to pursue not only the gunmen but also those who planned and financed the crime.
“No lead should be left unexplored, no effort should be spared,” the IBP said in a statement.
The group also called for stronger security measures for judges and court personnel, particularly those assigned in high-risk areas.