𝗞𝘂𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝘆𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝘆. 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗼

“Why no car, Judge?”

It was a rainy Thursday evening in Iloilo City when good friend Fiscal Myra Duremdes mentioned over coffee the death of a female judge due to a motorcycle accident.
Carmela Rosario Pasquin, 41, Presiding Judge of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) of Pinamungajan-Aloguinsan towns in Cebu Province, died in a motorcycle mishap on the morning of Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

Pasquin was on the way to her office, back riding on a motorcycle with her court processor, Eric Lanzarate, when the accident happened at the national highway of Barangay Cabiangon, Pinamungajan.

Police said the accident occurred when a motorcycle that the victims were following suddenly swerved. Lanzarate failed to avoid the motorcycle in front, causing them to crash. The impact threw the judge off the motorcycle and landed on the concrete pavement.

The driver of the other motorcycle was identified as 19-year-old Mark James Cabiling who reportedly has no license to drive.

Judge Pasquin suffered serious injuries and was declared dead on arrival.

At first, her name did not ring a bell until I saw the statement of the UP College of Law that included a photograph, wherein she was standing beside me.

The photo was taken last March 2024 at UP Visayas during the gathering of law students and alumni based in Panay and Bacolod. It coincided with the visit of then UP Law dean Darlene Berberabe-Lim, now Solicitor General who was there for an ocular inspection of the planned UP Law building.

I stayed in the gathering for less than three hours since I had a flight going back to Manila.

During that brief engagement, we had a candid discussion on our life as UP Law students and our respective careers after graduation.

A native of Cebu City, she began her legal career as a solo practitioner after passing the 2010 Bar Exams. In 2019, she joined the judiciary as Branch Clerk of Court of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo Regional Trial Court Branch 71.

She was then promoted to Clerk of Court VI of the same RTC in 2021, before assuming the post of Presiding Judge of MCTC Aloguinsan-Pinamungajan in 2024. She wanted to teach in the UP Law Iloilo extension program.

She was known as the lady judge who often commuted from Toledo City, where she resides, or rode with her coworkers to work.

In a Facebook post by her UP Law classmate Michael Ocampo, he said that “someone asked insensitively ‘Why no wheels, Judge’. Many people were surprised that a judge could live simply, without the trappings of power. Perhaps, it’s because we live in a time when government officials shamelessly parade their multimillion-peso luxury cars bought with stolen public money. Judge Carms stands in contrast to the many corrupt government officials in more ways than not having a luxury vehicle. If you looked at the posts of lawyers who appeared before her court, one would get a picture of a competent, diligent, incorruptible and fair judge. She wore the robes with honor.”

The Supreme Court said that “Though her stint as a trial judge was abruptly ended, her simplicity, modesty, and dedication to judicial duty reflect the moral compass that everyone in the Judiciary must faithfully adhere to.”

A statement by the UP College of Law said, “Judge Carms exemplified the highest ideals of the UP College of Law – commitment to public service, intellectual rigor, and leadership. Although she owned a car, she chose not to drive one, preferring instead to commute after becoming a judge because she believed that “public servants should live modest lives” and that it was an “injustice to the taxpayers” to do otherwise. She wanted to set an example – for the public to see her living simply and with integrity. Judge Carms leaves behind a lasting legacy of integrity, passion, and kindness – one that will continue to inspire our students and faculty for years to come.”

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Iloilo has called on national and local authorities to strengthen road safety measures, to enforce existing traffic laws with urgency and discipline and to ensure that public awareness translates into daily compliance following Pasquin’s death.

IBP said her loss was a stark reminder that “justice is often pursued on roads less protected,” calling attention to the “alarming frequency of road accidents that claim lives.”

“We join the public in grieving, but we also urge reflection. Our traffic laws are not wanting; their implementation is. Legislation, when left on paper, cannot save lives. Enforcement must be as consistent as it is compassionate,” the group said.

“The safety of our citizens, including those who labor quietly for justice, deserves no less,” it added.

The group said it hopes that Pasquin’s death moves the country toward a “more mindful and lawful culture” of safety on our roads.

Farewell and thank you for your service, Judge Carms.

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