MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police (PNP) is on a full-scale manhunt against the perpetrators behind the fatal shooting Saturday of a public school teacher in Isabela and the director of an electric cooperative in Oriental Mindoro.
In Isabela, teacher and Miss Philippines-Earth 2013 runner-up Lullete Jane de Guzman, who just turned 33 on Jan. 22, was with her three children inside their sports utility vehicle when gunned down right in front of their residence in Barangay Cabaritan, San Manuel town.
Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ormeco) director Antonio Mendeja was checking his vehicle in Pinamalayan town when shot dead.
“Strong words of condemnation against these cowardly attacks are not enough. We will focus on identifying and arresting all those involved in these two killings in the interest of justice and the rule of law,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Sunday.
Mendeja was a "pillar of integrity and a voice for the voiceless," Ormeco said in a statement.
“While we celebrate a legacy of light and empowerment, we cannot remain silent in the face of tragedy. We honor their memory by demanding the truth. Justice for Director Antonio M. Mendeja is not just a plea. It is a necessity for the peace of our community,” it added.
Nartatez directed the Police Regional Offices Cagayan Valley and Mimaropa to arrest those responsible for the twin crimes.
He also ordered police commanders to intensify crime prevention measures that include establishments of checkpoints, visibility and strategic deployment. He urged anybody with information on the killings to assist in the conduct of the investigation.