Manila  - The Philippine Supreme Court has set aside a fund to reward people who can provide information leading to the capture and conviction of killers and attackers of Filipino judges, a court official said Thursday.

Justice Presbitero Velasco, chairman of the Supreme Court's committee on security, said the high tribunal has approved a one-million peso (23,833-dollar) fund financed by from the Philippine Judges Foundation.

Under the programme, tipsters will be awarded 100,000 pesos for information leading to the identity of suspects in the killing or attacks on judges. Another 100,000 pesos will be given upon conviction.

The reward fund was set up amid unabated attacks on members of the judiciary.

The latest victim was Judge Philip Labastida who was found dead on the weekend in his house in Quezon City, a partt of metropolitan Manila. He suffered multiple stab wounds.

Police records showed that at least 18 judges have been killed in the country since 1999. Several others have survived attacks.

Last month, another local court judge and his bodyguard were killed by gunmen in Guihulngan City in the central province of Negros Oriental.

Earlier in April, the Supreme Court set aside 10 million pesos for loans to judges who want to buy guns for their protection. It also issued a circular outlining measures to improve the security of judges who are facing threats. (dpa)