Nelson Morales

Richard Gomez casts doubt anew on alleged assassination attempt vs. Kerwin Espinosa

Article (news)

Sharon Evite

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Re-electionist Richard Gomez said on Monday he still doubts the authenticity of the alleged assassination attempt on Albuera mayoral bet <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/5/12/kerwin-espinosa-bumoto-kasabay-ng-mga-senior-citizen-habang-nagpapagaling-1049">Rolan &quot;Kerwin&quot; Espinosa</a> last April.Gomez, who is running again for 4th District Representative of Ormoc City, said he still believes that the assassination attempt on Espinosa was staged.&quot;Imagine, alam niya agad kung ano &#x27;yung tumama sa kaniya. Alam niya agad kung ano &#x27;yung baril na bumaril sa kaniya. So that itself, you know all the details right away? So most likely, baka nga nagpabaril ka. It&#x27;s an &#x27;ambush me&#x27; thing,&quot; Gomez told ABS-CBN News.The lawmaker also said after voting that he has no hold on the police after seven cops were tagged in Espinosa&#x27;s assassination attempt.&quot;I do not control the police. That&#x27;s beyond my authority,&quot; Gomez said.Meanwhile, Gomez&#x27;s wife and Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez said she believes they would win against the cases filed against them.&quot;I&#x27;ve always believed in the path of peace and this is the only way I know how to path,&quot; said Torres-Gomez.The two politicians have already cast their vote in Can-adieng Elementary School alongside their daughter Juliana.Last April, Gomez and Espinosa fired back at each other after the former first cast doubt on the latter&#x27;s claims, saying Espinosa had &quot;no credibility and a self-confessed drug lord.&quot;Espinosa previously hinted that a politician was behind the shooting, noting that the assassination attempt came after he endorsed the candidacy of ex-Court of Appeals Associate Justice Vicente Veloso III, Gomez’s opponent in the congressional race.<div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/4/10/kerwin-espinosa-wounded-in-shooting-incident-in-leyte-1832">READ: Kerwin Espinosa wounded in Leyte shooting incident</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/4/12/gomez-do-not-believe-somebody-like-kerwin-espinosa-1700">READ: &#x27;Do not believe somebody like Kerwin Espinosa&#x27; -- Gomez</a></div>