Basilan judge slain in Zambo gun attack
PAGADIAN CITY—A judge in Basilan province was shot and killed in Zamboanga City on Thursday morning, drawing widespread condemnation from lawyers and provincial officials, with the Supreme Court among those mourning and demanding justice for his death.
Joseph Wee Sit, presiding judge of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 2 in Isabela City, Basilan, would have turned 39 on Nov. 21.
Lt. Col. Shellamie Chang, Zamboanga Peninsula regional police spokesperson, said that Wee Sit was driving toward the Tumaga flea market around 5:25 a.m. when two gunmen on a white motorcycle pulled up beside his vehicle and opened fire. They fled toward the Tumaga Bypass Road after the attack.
Policemen responded to the scene after receiving a report from a concerned citizen. They took the judge to a nearby hospital but doctors pronounced him dead at 6:30 a.m.
P2-M bounty
Brig. Gen. Elmer Ragay, PRO-9 director, immediately created a special investigation task group to track down the suspects and investigate the motive for the attack on the judge, who was known to handle controversial cases.
Last August, Wee Sit ordered the arrest of a town mayor and several others in Basilan for their alleged involvement in the killing of three persons hours before balloting opened for the midterm elections on May 12, 2025.
“We will exhaust all lawful means to identify and apprehend those responsible for this crime,” Ragay said in a statement. “We will pursue every lead, strengthen coordination among our operating units, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable under the law.”
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso offered a cash reward of P2 million for credible information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects.
“This senseless act of violence is deeply disturbing and has no place in a city that values peace, justice, and the rule of law,” Olaso told reporters on Thursday.
He said P1.5 million of the bounty will come from his personal funds, while the remaining P500,000 was pooled by concerned citizens.
Committed lawyer
Born in Zamboanga City in 1987, Wee Sit, fondly called Anjo, studied law at Western Mindanao State University and was admitted to the bar in 2015. He served as prosecutor and later as public attorney before his appointment to the judiciary on Sept. 23, 2025.
Though his time on the bench was brief, his commitment to serving the public and upholding the law will not be forgotten, the Supreme Court said in a statement, extending its condolences to the victim’s family, friends and colleagues.
Chief Justice Rodil Zalameda has directed the Office of the Court Administrator to personally reach out to the victim’s family and ensure that the judiciary extends the necessary financial and other assistance during this difficult time.
The high court, through the Office of the Judiciary Marshals, said it is working closely with law enforcement authorities to investigate the incident and identify those responsible.
In 2023, the Supreme Court formed the Office of the Judiciary Marshals to investigate the unresolved killings of judges. The judiciary marshals are also tasked to probe corruption allegedly committed by justices, judges and other court officials.
‘Blow to judicial system’
“The killing of Judge Wee Sit is a painful reminder of the dangers faced by those who serve in our courts. No judge should have to fear for their life simply for doing their duty,” the high court said.
“When judges are threatened or attacked, it is not only their safety that is at stake, but also the ability of our courts to deliver justice freely and independently,” it added.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) also condemned the killing, calling on the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, and all concerned agencies to make the case a matter of the highest priority.
“This was not merely an attack on a judge. It was an attack on the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Violence against members of the Bench threatens the administration of justice and cannot be allowed to breed fear, intimidation, or impunity,” the IBP national directorate said.
Lawyer Quirino Esguerra Jr., IBP governor for Western Mindanao, stressed that Wee Sit’s murder “was a direct assault on the country’s justice system.”
“We are very sad [about] this news. The senseless killing of Judge Joseph Wee Sit is a big blow not only to the judicial system, but also an attack [on] the very institution that dispenses justice,” Esguerra said in a statement.
Chilling strike
Basilan Gov. Mujiv Hataman shared Esguerra’s sentiment and urged law enforcers to hold accountable not only the gunmen but also the masterminds behind the killing.
“When a judge is assassinated because of their work, it is not just a life that is taken. It challenges the very system of justice and the ability of our courts to perform their duties without fear,” Hataman said.
The Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao described the attack as “a direct, chilling strike against the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in Mindanao.”
“No magistrate should ever have to pay with their life for upholding the law,” it said. —WITH REPORTS FROM CONG CORRALES AND KATHLEEN DE VILLA
