Lawyer of slain alleged drug lord killed in Roxas City

ILOILO CITY — A lawyer of slain alleged Western Visayas drug lord Melvin Odicta was gunned down Friday afternoon in Roxas City in Capiz province.

Lawyer Edeljulio Romero was shot dead by three unidentified suspects, according to Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, Western Visayas police director.

“We confirm the shooting incident in Roxas City in Capiz about 1 p.m. which resulted to the death of Attorney (Ediljulio) Romero,” Bulalacao said in a statement.

He said the police were pursuing the gunmen.

“We are already conducting an investigation on this incident to identify and arrest those responsible,” he said.

Bulalacao confirmed that Romero was in the High-Value Target Level 3 list of drug personalities.

Romero had denied links to illegal drugs.

Romero served as the lawyer of Odicta until the alleged drug lord and his wife Merriam were gunned down by unidentified men on August 29, 2016, shortly after they disembarked from a ship at the Caticlan port in Malay town in Aklan.

The killing of the couple has remained unsolved.

Romero was among those who were at the Caticlan port to fetch the Odicta couple.