Police say lawyer shot in Dumaguete received death threats

Police Major Jesus Misajon, Deputy Chief of Police of Dumaguete City, checks the house of the victim. CDN Digital photo | Florence Baesa

Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental—Police Colonel Julian Entoma, director of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO), confirmed that the lawyer who was shot at his home’s premises on Friday morning, January 3, 2020, received death threats prior to the shooting incident.

Lawyer Rey Moncada was shot by still unidentified gunmen and was hit by a single bullet from a .45 caliber pistol at the lower right portion of his back.

Read: Lawyer shot, wounded in Dumaguete City undergoes surgery

The lawyer is in stable condition while undergoing surgery at a hospital here, according to a relative who asked not to be identified.

Relatives also gave police investigators a letter from a certain “The Punisher” addressed to Moncada. 

Entoma, in an interview with CDN Digital, part of the letter read “I-uli ang imong kinawat kay kung dili amo…..kuanon ang imong….pamilya.” 

(Return what you stole because if not, we will.. your.. family.)

With this development, police investigators are now checking the work related angle as the motive of the shooting. 

“Mao nang among gi verify karon, kinsa iyang mga kontra o kalaban niya. Mas nindot nga buhi si attorney para makasulti siya kinsa ang iyang pinaka kontra karong panahona,” Entoma added.

(That’s what we are verifying, who are his enemies. It would be better if the attorney will live so he can tell us who his enemies are these days.)

Police said the victim handles land dispute cases. 

“In relation sa iyang lawyering diha mi makakuha ug motive nganong naingon ana. Yuta jud ng iyang kadaghanan gilabanan mao ng usahay dunay magdumot mao ng mga abogado ang pahimungtan aron wala nay molaban,” according to Entoma.

(In relation to his lawyering, that’s where we can get a motive why this happened. Land dispute cases are mostly his cases that’s why sometimes there are those who would hold a grudge and the lawyer is usually the one targeted so that no one can defend [the clients.])

Recovered at the crime scene were five empty shells of caliber 45 and one deformed slug.

The two unidentified suspects, according to a police report, were riding a black motorcycle. The driver was wearing a brown jacket and dark helmet while the gunman was wearing a black jacket and black helmet. /bmjo