Female lawyer shot dead

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Mia Manuelita Mascariñas-Green, a female lawyer who was driving her car after fetching her children from school, was gunned down by riding-in-tandem men at 4:47 p.m. Wednesday along Purok 2 of sitio Lanao in Barangay Dao, Tagbilaran City.

Senior Superintendent Nicomedes Olaivar, City Police chief, said Mascariñas-Green was killed by two masked men while she was driving her Toyota Innova car (plate no. ABM 9572), with her three children and helper on board, who were however unharmed.

The lawyer, who was married to Stuart Green, a Briton marine biologist, died of multiple gunshot wounds in her body a few minutes later at the Holy Name University hospital.

Recovered from the scene were at least 20 spent cartridges of a .45-caliber and 9mm pistols.

Investigators believed the fatal shooting of Mascariñas-Green appeared to be well-planned, and as of yesterday, they were still facing a blank wall on leads of the identities of the masked assailants, the motive and possibly the mastermind.

This early, the police dismissed speculations that the killing may be connected to cases of illegal drugs, but initial probe on the cases the lawyer had handled showed that she never took any case of such nature, and was known only to be a human rights lawyer who defended “oppressed” clients.

Olaivar said in interview with DyTR Radio Station that policemen were immediately alerted in the nearby town of Corella where the assailants were reportedly headed, based on witnesses accounts after the incident.

The Tagbilaran City Police and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Bohol chapter, as of press time yesterday, have yet to issue official statements on the incident.

City Councilor Anthony Aniscal, in his FB post, meanwhile said that the family of the slain lawyer is ready to give a P500,000 reward to any one who could give vital information for the immediate arrest of the killers. (FREEMAN)