Lawyers’ group condemns colleague’s slay

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – A lawyers’ group in Negros Occidental condemned the shooting to death of a colleague last week in this city.

In a statement, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Negros Occidental chapter lamented the fatal shooting of Atty. Danny Pondevilla on Dec 20, 2022 at Lacson Street.

“We call upon the authorities, including the police, to exert every legal means to identify the suspect and to bring the perpetrator to justice,” according to IBP-Negros Occidental chapter headed by Atty. Josephine Natalaray.

The statement further said that “an assault to any member of the legal profession is an assault to the entire community.”

Pondevilla, the 47-year-old general manager of Northern Negros Electric Cooperative, was found dead in the driver’s seat of his Honda CRV with a gunshot wound on his head and his hands tied with the seatbelt, according to the police.

The two individuals tagged by the police as “persons of interest” in their investigations were subjected to paraffin tests.

But the results released on Dec 22 yielded negative for gunpowder residue, according to Lt. Jonito Pastrana, Police Station 2 officer in charge.

Police probers are looking into personal or job-related grudges as among the possible motives for the death of Pondevilla.

“We will continue to be vigilant. We will continue to pursue our goal to let the rule of law prevail,” IBP-Negros Occidental added.