General Santos City – A former paralegal of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) was shot by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants on the evening of July 28 in Purok Bliss, Barangay Calumpang, General Santos City.
The victim, identified as Warren Cahayag, of legal age and a resident of Purok Lower Acharon in the same barangay, sustained five gunshot wounds and was immediately rushed to an undisclosed hospital where he remains under medical observation.
Initial police investigation revealed that Cahayag was standing in front of a store near their cooperative when two men aboard a motorcycle approached him. The back rider reportedly fired multiple shots before the suspects fled the scene.
Cahayag, a cooperative worker, is a former paralegal of UPLM, an organization of human rights lawyers and legal volunteers in Mindanao. In a statement, UPLM expressed grave concern over the attack and noted that Cahayag is the second former paralegal from their ranks in General Santos to be targeted in recent months.
The group recalled that another former paralegal, Jejohn Macalintal, was shot dead last June 23. UPLM said the pattern of attacks against its former legal workers is alarming and calls for urgent and impartial investigation.
Police authorities are continuing to investigate the motive behind the shooting and are working to identify the suspects. They are also appealing to the public for any information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.