Human rights lawyer gunned down

SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines  – A prominent human rights lawyer here was shot dead by still unknown suspects who waylaid him in front of this town’s municipal trial court yesterday morning.

Lawyer Ernesto Salunat, also the campaign manager of the Liberal Party here, succumbed to four bullet wounds on the neck and head while being treated at the Medical Mission Group Hospital here where he was rushed shortly after being shot.

Attending physicians declared him dead at around 10:05 a.m. or about two hours after he was shot by one of the suspects riding in tandem on a motorcycle in front of the MTC here just after alighting from his white BMW car.

The crime scene is also a few meters away from the Aglipayan and Roman Catholic churches as well as the Saint Louis School and the town’s municipal park and tennis court.

Witnesses said that the suspects immediately approached the arriving lawyer as he was walking towards the one-story court building, which is adjacent to the town’s Bureau of Fire Protection office in Poblacion South here.

Reports indicated that one of the suspects shot him at point-blank four times from a .38 caliber revolver and immediately fled on a motorcycle with the other suspect.

Police, however, declined to give initial statements about the incident saying they are still establishing possible leads on the incident.

Observers speculated that Salunat’s killing may be work related. But some supporters also did not discount the possibility that his slay has something to do with politics.

Hundreds of supporters and political allies, who include former governor Rodolfo Agbayani and board member Santiago Dickson, immediately rushed to the hospital after hearing of the incident and waited there until he was declared dead by hospital officials.

Family seeks justice

“We condemn in the strongest terms the killing of one of the most respected political leaders in the province. There can never be any justification for such violence, much more taking the life of a fellow human being,” said Transportation and Communications Undersecretary Thompson Lantion.

Lantion was Salunat’s running mate when the former ran for Congress with the latter for governor in the 2004 elections. Both, however, lost to Agbayani and then Vice Gov. Luisa Cuaresma, respectively.

A former police general, Lantion called on authorities to go to the bottom of the incident and bring justice to the bereaved family.

“The province is so peaceful, we should not give any room for assassins or hired killers to sow violence right under our noses. I call on my former (police) colleagues to exert extra effort to unmask these heartless perpetrators,” Lantion said.

Salunat figured prominently as LP campaign manager here in last month’s election, heavily criticizing the provincial government’s alleged misgovernance.

One of the province’s most-sought-after trial lawyers, Salunat, besides being a human rights lawyer, also handled land dispute cases here and in neighboring provinces.

A former Northern Luzon governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, he served as provincial government secretary of neighboring Quirino where he unsuccessfully ran twice for governor.

A native of this town’s Barangay Uddiawan, Salunat also tried his luck in politics here but lost thrice in his congressional bids. He also ran but lost in the 2004 gubernatorial race.

Two years ago, Salunat survived gunshot wounds when armed men strafed the house of his brother, Quezon town Mayor Aurelio Salunat, where they, along with some political supporters, were having a party.

Despite the incident, Salunat, also a former University of the East law professor, refused to be provided with a police escort or security aides, opting to be alone in his movements.