Lawyer Joey Luis Wee shot dead in Cebu City

Another lawyer Joey Luis Wee was shot dead by two unidentified men while walking to his office in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City.

According to the police, Joey Luis Wee, 51, sustained two bullet wounds in his body. He was rushed to a local hospital but died while being treated, said Police Maj. Dindo Juanito Alaras, chief of the Mabolo police station here.

Alaras said Wee had just got out of his car and was on his way to his office at Altchi Building at 1:30 p.m. when he was shot. The suspects escaped on a motorcycle.

Authorities are yet to identify the motives behind the killing of the Cebu City lawyer. Wee served as counsel for former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) tagged in the controversial purchase of 1,800 lampposts in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu in 2007.

Joey Luis Wee also defended agents and civilian assets of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas who attacked a van carrying off-duty resort employees in 2002.

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Lawyer Joey Luis Wee shot dead in Cebu City

Lawyer Regal Oliva, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City chapter, denounced the attack “to the highest degree” in a text message to the Inquirer. “The attempt to take any lives will never be tolerated in a civilized society,” he said.

“We call upon all concerned agencies of government to immediately address this case and see to it that all perpetrators be brought to justice. We pray for his family that they may have all the strength and endurance to see this through,” Oliva said.

According to his law firm’s website, Joey Luis Wee graduated cum laude from the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, where he earned his degree in political science in 1990. He studied law at San Beda College in Manila and graduated in 1994.

Last week, Lawyer Eric Jay Magcamit was shot dead in the southern Palawan town of Narra on Tuesday morning.

Wee is the 53rd in the legal profession to be killed under the Duterte administration since 2016.