LP campaign manager in Nueva Vizcaya shot dead

by Ben Moses Ebreo

Solano, Nueva Vizcaya (June 23) — A campaign manager of the Liberal Party(LP) in the province was shot dead Tuesday morning in front of a local court in barangay Poblacion South here.

Lawyer Ernesto Salunat, 64 of barangay Osmena in this town died after he was shot four times by unidentified suspects infront of the Municipal Trial Court(MTC) at 8:45 am.

Salunat, also a well known human rights lawyer and a political candidate for congressional and gubernatorial positions in the previous elections in the province was on his way to the MTC to follow-up an ejectment order on a land dispute which he won when the two suspects approached him and shot him, according to Police Senior Supt. Pedro Danguilan, police provincial director.

He was hit twice in the head and twice on his neck by one of the suspects with a caliber .38 revolver and died a few minutes at the Medical Mission Group(MMG) hospital, less than a kilometer from the MTC.

The suspects, witnesses said rode a motorcycle after the incident and fled away.

“We are still investigating all angles. The motive of the crime may be work-related, political or personal grudge. We cannot give yet any lead,” Danguilan said.

Local officials, friends and political supporters swarmed the MMG hospital here where he was given medical attention.

In 2008, Salunat was once shot in his arm while with his brother Aurelio, also a municipal mayor of Quezon town here.

His other brothers are Engineer Narciso Salunat, general manager of the Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative(NUVELCO) and Rogelio Salunat, a barangay captain of Uddiawan in Solano town.

Salunat also served as provincial secretary of Quirino province and ran as a gubernatorial candidate in that province.

He was a former governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines(IBP) in Northern Luzon.

The IBP in Nueva Vizcaya condemned the crime as a barbaric act and a direct affront to the peace and order situation in the province. (PIA NVizcaya)