At A Glance
- House Speaker Martin Romualdez expressed his outrage on Monday, June 16 over the killing of a committee official from the House of Representatives.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)
House Speaker Martin Romualdez expressed his outrage on Monday, June 16 over the killing of a committee official from the House of Representatives.
Shot and killed over the weekend according to the Speaker’s office was Director Mauricio “Morrie” Pulhin, chief of technical staff of the Committee on Ways and Means.
I am deeply saddened and outraged by the tragic death of Director [Pulhin]...We condemn this brutal act of violence in the strongest possible terms, Romualdez said in a statement.
The leader of the 306-member House said the incident has left his family and our community in shock and grief.
Director Pulhin was a long-serving and dedicated public servant. His professionalism, integrity, and quiet commitment to his work earned him the respect of his peers and superiors alike, he said.
While he said it was too early to determine the motive behind this heinous crime, Romualdez called on the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and all law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough, impartial, and swift investigation.
All angles must be pursued—including, but not limited to, his professional affiliations—so that the truth may come out and justice may be served, he said.
This crime must not go unanswered. Justice must prevail, he further said.
Romualdez also told Pulhin’s family: We offer our deepest condolences. We stand with you in this time of unimaginable pain. And we will do everything in our power to ensure that those responsible—whether gunmen or masterminds—are identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
To the men and women of the House Secretariat and our broader congressional family: we share in your grief and your anger. Let us channel that into vigilance, unity, and an unwavering demand for justice—not only for Director Pulhin, but for every Filipino who falls victim to senseless violence, he added.
Brazen killing
Meanwhile, Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda described Pulhin’s murder as shocking in its brazenness.
He was shot in front of his family, in his gated neighborhood. This heinous act must be condemned and its perpetrators brought to justice at once, said Salceda, who chaired the ways and means panel in the just-concluded 19th Congress.
I send my deepest condolences to Director Morie’s loved ones, he added.