Tuburan councilor wounded in ambush
A MUNICIPAL councilor was wounded after he was shot by one of the two men on board a motorcycle in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City, past 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Renante dela Cerna, 43, councilor of Tuburan town in northern Cebu who is also a lawyer, suffered two gunshot wounds in the body.
He was brought to a private hospital and was in stable condition as of 10 p.m., said PO3 Winston Ybañez, investigator of the Homicide section of the Cebu City Police Office.
“We still have to determine the motive behind the killing, but there’s a big possibility that it has something to do with his profession,” he said.
Rommel Mante, driver of the motorcycle hired by the lawyer to take him home, was also wounded in the attack but was in stable condition.
Initial police investigation showed that Dela Cerna was on his way home to Sitio Candahuan, Barangay Talamban, Cebu City on board a habal-habal or motorcycle-for-hire when one of the two men on board another motorcycle shot him.
Lawyer Mundlyn Misal-Martin, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ Cebu province chapter, denounced the shooting of Dela Cerna.
“We condemn the violence committed against our fellow lawyer. We call for the immediate investigation of this case so that he can attain the justice he deserves,” she said.
“No lawyer should suffer this kind of violence,” she added.
Dela Cerna is from Tuburan town, but he would come to Cebu City, which is about 82 km away, to attend to his cases.
Tuburan Mayor Aljun Diamante echoed calls for a speedy and efficient investigation to arrest the perpetrators.
“We are thankful that he (Dela Cerna) is in stable condition,” he said.
Diamante and Dela Cerna are members of the Liberal Party.
The mayor said Dela Cerna was elected barangay captain of Putat in Tuburan in 2013 and municipal councilor in 2016.
His brother, Rodel dela Cerna, succeeded him as barangay captain of Putat.
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