TANJAY CITY–A lawyer in this City was shot and killed by a still unknown gunman in front of his common-law wife and four-year-old son Friday night.
Lawyer Manolo Zerna,48, who was entertaining thoughts of running for City Councilor in next year’s elections, was shot as he and his family arrived at their home along Legazpi St. in Barangay 9 in Tanjay City around 11:45 p.m. from a social gathering in barangay Ilaud. His partner, Evelyn Martinez, and their four-year-old son Onifredo Yahshuah, had just disembarked from their motorcycle to open the gate when shots rang out.
Zerna succumbed to five gunshot wounds on his body. The gunman walked to his companion who was waiting in a motorcycle and they sped away to the direction of Pamplona town.
Sr. Supt. Edward Carranza, Negros Oriental police director, said he has given the Tanjay City Police under Supt. Salvador Tagle until Monday to wind up their investigation. “If they still do not have any case by Monday, we will form a task force,” Carranza told the MetroPost.
Police recovered seven .45 caliber slugs at the crime scene.
Carranza said that they are seriously looking into this case especially because the victim was a lawyer. A team from the Scene of the Crime Operatives conducted an autopsy on the victim Saturday afternoon.
“Lawyering entails a risk, although it would initially appear that in this case, the motive is personal rather than professional,” he said.
Carranza declined to provide further details so as not to jeopardize the investigation.
Prosecutor Arnel Zerna, brother of the victim, said he has invited the National Bureau of Investigation and the local police to investigate his brother’s killing. He said he is considering several angles which he shared with investigators.
Zerna was killed almost one year after the August 5 attack on lawyer Archer Martinez inside his office in Dumaguete City. Police have identified and charged a suspect in Martinez’ killing.
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