CEBU, Philippines – A lawyer who worked at the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) was attacked by riding-in-tandem gunmen in Mandaue City late Thursday night, September 1.

Police identified the victim as Karen Quiñanola-Gonzales, 43. She was driving her car, accompanied by her 19-year-old son, when the attack happened in Hernan Cortes Street, on the border of Tipolo and Banilad villages.

Gonzales and her son were shot and were rushed to the hospital.

The Mandaue City Police Office said on Friday, September 2, that the two are in stable condition.

Gonzales has been a lawyer at CPA since 2005, and worked for a year as reporter for Freeman, from 2000 to 2001, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The CPA is responsible for managing all sea ports in Cebu.

The Cebu Integrated Bar of the Philippines offered a P50,000-reward for information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.

“September is the rule of law month. But today has left us in utter shock and disbelief, as there is yet again, another attack against a member of the legal profession,” the IBP-Cebu City Chapter said in a statement on Friday morning.

“We should not allow shooting incidents to be a common fare in the news. The usual statement denouncing or condemning an attack done to any person, after the initial dismay of learning of the senseless harm done, will not cut it,” the group added.

The incident is the latest attack on a lawyer in Cebu. Lawyer Rex Fernandez was shot dead in August 2021.

In November 2020, lawyer Joey Luis Wee was shot dead in broad daylight on his way to his office, and a month later, Baby Maria Concepcion Landero-Ole was killed while driving her truck in Danao City. (READ: LIST: Judges, prosecutors, lawyers killed under Duterte gov’t). – with reports from John Sitchon/Rappler.com