By Ding Cervantes
STA. RITA, Pampanga — The Department
of Justice is set to investigate the killing of a lawyer and his driver who
were shot to death in an ambush in front of a church in Barangay San Vicente in
this town on Tuesday.
A police report identified the fatalities
as Carlos Anselmo, a resident of Barangay Cabambangan in Floridablanca, and his
driver Marcial Mendoza of Barangay Bayan in Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
The victims
suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival in a
hospital.
Capt. Renemer James Pornia, Sta. Rita
police chief, said he deployed his men in front of the San Vicente parish
church after receiving reports on the incident at about 9:20 a.m.
Initial
investigation showed the victims were in a Toyota Camry when three men on two
motorcycles overtook their vehicle and opened fire.
The
assailants fled toward an unknown direction.
Bullet shells for a caliber .45 pistol
were recovered at the scene.
Probers have
yet to determine if the motive was work-related. Anselmo reportedly handled
land dispute cases.
In Manila,
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he would order the creation of a task
force to probe the murder of the lawyer and his driver if there are indications
that they are victims of extrajudicial killings.
In the
meantime, Guevarra said he would leave it to the Philippine National Police to
investigate the incident.
“If there are
any indication the case falls under Administrative Order 35 or killings arising
from certain advocacies, the Department of Justice will create a special
investigating team,” he said.
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