Authorities reported that the vehicle owned by Nelson Remulla — a prominent businessman and engineer who ran for Cavite City mayor but lost in the last local elections — was shot by still unidentified gunmen outside his residence in Dasmariñas, Cavite on Tuesday night.

Remulla reportedly is a relative of Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

Initial investigations disclosed that the vehicle — which was driven by Epifani Drylle Zedrick Ayo III — was ambushed by two armed men riding a motorcycle when it stopped at the gate of the house.

Police said that the driver alighted the vehicle to open the gate when the suspects fired upon the vehicle several times before fleeing towards Langkaan road.

Investigators said that the vehicle suffered heavy damage and bullet holes were prominent at the backseat of the car.

Meantime, Remulla said that he, his wife, and four children were "shocked" with the incident, saying that it might be an assassination attempt.

"It looks like those bullets were meant for me because the unknown gunmen fired at the back seat of the car, where I'm usually seated," said Remulla, who called from Kaoshung where he and other members of the Rotary Club of Manila flew to for an international Rotary event.

He added that he has no known enemies even after losing the elections and he is known to be a fair businessman.

"People know me for my giving and good works, and I really can't think of anyone who might want to harm me or my family," said Remulla, who is also a civil and electrical engineer.

Remulla owns the St. Paul Technological Institute of Cavite Inc. in Dasmariñas, Cavite. He said he was "never into politics."

Currently, a Rotary Club of Manila assistant governor, he said, his orientation had always been business and public service, but "I got into politics and ran in the last elections because I felt that there was much to change and maybe through politics, I could do more to help people."

The only possible angle he could think of regarding why his automobile was sprayed with bullets was that perhaps, "there are certain people who don't like the idea of my running again for local politics in the next round."

Meantime, the Department of Justice on Thursday said that persons deprived of liberty 70 years old and above, sickly, have served at least 10 years of their prison term and even if considered "high risk" like those convicted of heinous crimes are being eyed to be given executive clemency.

The executive clemency for old and sickly PDLs, according to DoJ Undersecretary Jesse Hermogenes T. Andres, is stated in Resolution No. OT-08-02-2023 issued by the Board of Pardons and Parole last week.

Under the law, executive clemency refers to reprieve, absolute pardon, conditional pardon with or without parole convictions and commutation of sentence and is issued by the President.

Andres disclosed the BPP resolution during the second and last day of the National Jail Decongestion Summit being conducted by representatives of all branches of government — executive, legislative and judiciary.

The summit is spearheaded by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council composed of the Supreme Court, Department of Justice and Department of the Interior and Local Government.