Batangas PAO lawyer shot

BATANGAS, Philippines – A lawyer of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) was critically wounded when two motorcycle-riding men shot him at the parking lot of the provincial Hall of Justice in Batangas City on Tuesday morning, police said. Senior Superintendent Rosauro Acio, Batangas police director, said the victim, lawyer Arsenio Hernandez Jr., had just parked his car to report for work when the two men approached him from behind and shot him at close range at around 7:45 a.m. the other day. Hernandez was shot in the left side of his neck, with the bullet exiting through the right side. He also had bullet wounds in the chest and lower part of the body. He was rushed to the St. Patrick Hospital where he was initially placed in critical condition. He was declared in stable condition hours later. Sources said Hernandez could have earned the ire of a certain group when he won the acquittal of his client accused of drug pushing. Prior to the shooting, police said Hernandez had received death threats from unidentified callers and senders of text messages. Police are now conducting follow-up operations to arrest his attackers. - By Arnell Ozaeta