A Manila Regional Trial Court Judge was fatally shot allegedly by her own clerk who then killed himself after a heated verbal argument while inside the former’s court room at the Manila City Hall’s Regional Trial Court (RTC) Building in Taft Avenue, Ermita, Manila on Wednesday afternoon.
The victim identified as 44-year-old Judge Maria Theresa Abadilla Samonte, presiding judge of the RTC-Branch 45, who was rushed by responding policemen at the Manila Medical Center (MMC) but later died due to gunshot wound.
While suspect a certain Atty. Amador Rebato y Bustamante, 42, the Chief of Court Clerk at the RTC Branch 45, who eventually killed himself moments after shooting Judge Samonte.
Initial report said that the incident took place inside room number 535 at the 5th floor of the Manila City Hall building around 2:45 p.m.
Investigations revealed that the two had a heated argument over an unknown reason which resulted in the shooting.
Judge Samonte was the one who hears the cyber libel case of Rappler’s Maria Ressa.