Cases he handled seen as reasons for lawyer’s killing

NAGA CITY—The criminal and civil cases handled by lawyer Nicomedes Romagos were being eyed as the reasons for the killing of a lawyer in Cataingan town in Masbate, the top police official in the province said on Thursday.

Romagos, 58, was felled by M16 rifle bullets fired by still unidentified gunmen on Monday in the remote Barangay Nadawisan, about 9 kilometers from the town proper, said Senior Supt. Heriberto Olitoquit, provincial police director.

Cataingan is about 70 km south of Masbate City’s provincial hospital.

Olitoquit added it was highly possible that the attackers were hired killers. “This possibility will make it difficult for us to find witnesses as people are afraid of hired killers,” he said.

Romagos was shot dead at about 5:30 p.m. after being waylaid by the suspected assassins.

He came from his farm and was on his way home in Barangay Poblacion when shot. He suffered multiple bullet wounds all over his body, Olitoquit said.

Recovered from the crime scene were three spent shells from an M16 rifle.

Olitoquit said they were ruling out politics as the motive behind the murder. “We are also ruling out the involvement of the communist rebels,” he said.

An initial investigation, according to Olitoquit, found out that the victim was also involved in land disputes, which were also being explored as possible reasons behind the killing. Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon