On 23 June 2010, Mr. Ernesto Salunat, human rights lawyer, was shot dead by unknown suspects who waylaid him in front of this town's municipal trial court yesterday morning. Mr. Salunat is also the campaign manager of the Liberal Party. He succumbed to four bullet wounds on the neck and head while being treated at the Medical Mission Group Hospital here where he was rushed shortly after being shot.Attending physicians declared him dead at around 10:05 a.m. or about two hours after he was shot by one of the suspects riding in tandem on a motorcycle in front of the MTC here just after alighting from his white BMW car. The crime scene is also a few meters away from the Aglipayan and Roman Catholic churches as well as the Saint Louis School and the town's municipal park and tennis court. Witnesses said that the suspects immediately approached the arriving lawyer as he was walking towards the one-story court building, which is adjacent to the town's Bureau of Fire Protection office in Poblacion South here. Reports indicated that one of the suspects shot him at point-blank four times from a .38 caliber revolver and immediately fled on a motorcycle with the other suspect.Police, however, declined to give initial statements about the incident saying they are still establishing possible leads on the incident.Observers speculated that Salunat's killing may be work related. But some supporters also did not discount the possibility that his slay has something to do with politics.Hundreds of supporters and political allies, who include former governor Rodolfo Agbayani and board member Santiago Dickson, immediately rushed to the hospital after hearing of the incident and waited there until he was declared dead by hospital officials. Salunat figured prominently as LP campaign manager here in last month's election, heavily criticizing the provincial government's alleged misgovernance. Besides being a human rights lawyer, he also handled land dispute cases here and in neighbouring provinces. Two years ago, Salunat survived gunshot wounds when armed men strafed the house of his brother, Quezon town Mayor Aurelio Salunat, where they, along with some political supporters, were having a party. Despite the incident, Salunat, also a former University of the East law professor, refused to be provided with a police escort or security aides, opting to be alone in his movements.