ILOILO CITY -- The legal counsel of slain suspected Western Visayas drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr. was shot dead by an unidentified suspect at the Culasi Port in Roxas City, Capiz on Friday afternoon.
Lawyer Edeljulio Romero,50, of Barangay South San Jose, Molo, Iloilo City succumbed to a gunshot wound in his head, said Supt. Dante Tayco, chief of police of Roxas City Police Station.
Tayco said the shooting took place when the victim was in a restaurant inside the port around 12:45 p.m.
Reports said three suspects got out of a gray Nissan SUV, one approached the victim, shot him at the back of the head, while the other two served as lookout.
The lawyer was brought to Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital but was declared dead on arrival by attending physician.
The lawyer was supposed to travel to Metro Manila via roll-on roll-off vessel. He was with his 42 year-old live-in partner Irish Tan, who was at the ticketing booth when the shooting happened.
“The suspects are still at large. Our investigators are locating for witnesses,” he said. Policemen are checking if there are closed-circuit television cameras near the incident to help them identify the suspects.
Tayco said the victim was in Capiz since September 26 to attend to hearing on drug cases of his two clients.
Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, Director of the Police Regional Office-Western Visayas, confirmed that the lawyer is on their list as High Value Target Level 3 drug personality.
“We enjoin possible eyewitness to share information that may help in the ongoing investigation. We assure the victim's family that a thorough investigation is underway to arrest those responsible,” he said.
To recall, Melvin Odicta Sr. and his wife Meriam, were killed by two unidentified gunmen at Caticlan Port in Malay, Aklan on August 29, 2016. (PNA)
