SCENE OF THE CRIME. Police have cordoned off the area where Los Baños Mayor Ceasar Perez was shot by still unidentified men within the premises of the municipal hall Thursday (Dec. 3, 2020) night. Perez, who was rushed to the HealthServ Medical Center, died around 9:25 p.m. (Photo courtesy of PIA)
LOS BANOS – Mayor Ceasar Perez was shot dead by still unidentified persons at the premises of the municipal hall.
Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez confirmed the death of Perez, who was once the province's vice governor as well.
According to a police report, Perez was supposed to be heading back to his office after getting a massage when shot twice at the back of his head.
The police could not determine who the culprits were and where the shots came from, although eyewitness accounts said they seemed to have come from afar.
Perez was rushed to the HealthServ Medical Center, some two kilometers away from the town hall just along Manila South Road. He died around 9:25 p.m.
Perez was 65 years old.
He first served as this town's mayor from 2001-2010. He then served as Laguna's vice governor from 2010-2013 before returning to the mayoralty spot.
He was serving the last term of his second stint as mayor of this town when killed.
Perez became well-known for being among the first local leaders to implement a restriction on the use of plastic bags and making paper bags an alternative to keep the town clean and green.
A busy day
The shooting of Perez was a sour ending to what was a busy day in his office.
While he was mainly monitoring the coronavirus disease situation in the town, in which two new cases have been tallied on Thursday, he still took time meeting barangay leaders to discuss ways of resolving legal matters within the counties.
Perez also handed the prizes to the winners of various activities related to the National Children's Month last November.
He also gave the closing remarks on the second day of the Syensaya Science Festival, in which Dr. Eufemio Rasco Jr. of the National Academy of Science and Technology gave a speech on food security amid the pandemic. (PNA)
