Female lawyer killed

CEBU, Philippines —  Less than a month after the cold murder of Atty. Joey Luis Wee, another lawyer was felled in broad daylight shooting in Cebu – Atty. Baby Maria Concepcion Landero-Ole.

Ole was shot by a perpetrator boarding a motorcycle while she was inside her white pick-up along the national highway in Barangay Looc, Danao City around 2:50 p.m. yesterday, December 17.

Her killing came less than 24 hours after the chief investigator of Cordova Police Station was also shot dead while riding his motorcycle in the town Wednesday evening.

Police Major Maria Theresa Macatangay, Danao City Police Station chief, said they are not discounting the possibility that the victim might have been followed by the gunman. Ole was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

As of this writing, the police were still gathering CCTV footages and looking for witnesses that could lead them to the identification of the suspect who immediately fled the area after the shooting, going to direction of the south.

IBP statement

In a statement Ria Lydia Espina, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines – Cebu Chapter, was quick to condemn Ole’s killing.

The statement read: “IBP Cebu vehemently condemns in the strongest terms the killing of another lawyer, Atty. Baby Maria Concepcion Landero-Ole.

“This latest violence adds to the list of numerous unsolved cases of killings in Cebu perpetrated by assassins who remain unidentified. This attack is not only an attack against the life of an officer of the court, but is also an assault to the legal profession and to the rule of law.

“The forging of a memorandum of understanding between the CPPO and the IBP Cebu has all the more become imperative and urgent to ensure the security and protection of lawyers who are vanguards of justice.

“IBP Cebu calls on the public to cooperate in the investigation and share information that may be crucial for the swift resolution of this case and eventual stopping of these vicious acts.”

Last November 23, Atty. Wee was shot dead in front of his law office in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City in an early afternoon.

In the aftermath of his murder, the National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas (NBI-CEVRO) had arrested the primary gunman and had filed charges against five other cohorts, including the unidentified mastermind.

Cop killed, too

In Cordova, Police Master Sergeant Elizar Llanes, 42, was shot dead on the highway in Barangay Poblacion at around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

According to Captain Al-Nico Haman, acting chief of police of Cordova Municipal Police Station, they first received a call from a concerned citizen stating that a shooting incident transpired in the area.

When they arrived at the scene, they found out that it was Llanes lying on the ground.

Haman said that Llanes, the chief investigator who was on-duty, had earlier told them that he would just be heading out to buy food for dinner.

Initial investigation showed that the victim was shot several times by two unidentified assailants onboard a motorcycle.

“Walang CCTV (closed-circuit television) sa area nung nag-investigate kami. Mga ganoong oras, medyo madilim yung area. May streetlight pero hindi naman ganon ka well-lighted,” said Haman.

Police recovered more or less 15 empty shells of bullets from the crime scene but Haman stressed that they are still waiting for the Crime Lab report for the exact number, as well as the make of the gun used by the assailants.

Haman said that the victim has worked as an operative of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) before he became a chief investigator of the police station.

However, he could not say as of now if Llanes’ previous work had something to do with his killing as they are still digging deeper into the case. — Mae Fhel K. Gom-os, JMD