Iloilo officials condemn attack on activists
Crossing party lines, lawmakers and officials in Iloilo have condemned the shooting and wounding of a human rights worker and the abduction of two officials of militant organizations on Panay Island.
Iloilo Representatives Janette Garin and Arthur Defensor who are allied with the administration have joined Deputy Minority Leader Rolex Suplico, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano in calling on law enforcers to run after the perpetrators and find the missing activists.
Ocampo who was here with Mariano on Friday until Saturday to follow up the case said the shooting of human rights worker Jose Ely Garachico and abduction of Ma. Luisa Posa-Dominado and Nilo Arado are "part of the continuing campaign of political persecution" against militant party-list groups and organizations.
"I join them in condemning this dastardly act," said Defensor after meeting with Ocampo, Suplico and Mariano.
"It’s so shocking that this has to happen here," said Defensor who was governor of Iloilo for three terms.
Unidentified armed men waylaid the vehicle of three activists Thursday night in Barangay Cabanbanan in Oton town, around 7 km south of Iloilo City.
They shot and wounded Garachico in the neck before taking over the vehicle of the victims and forcing Dominado and Arado to go with them.
The three had just attended an assembly of the party list group Anakpawis in the capital town of San Jose in Antique.
Arado and Dominado are the 198th and the 199th activists that were abducted or are still missing since 2001, according to Karapatan.
Dominado and Garachico were detained during the Martial Law. Dominado is one of the longest detained political prisoners in Western Visayas having spent seven years in detention despite managing to escape her captors thrice.
Suplico and Garin also condemned the attack.
"Iloilo is a very peaceful but we now realize that the attacks against activists have reached us," said Suplico.
Garin, whose district covers Oton town, said she has directed police officials to exert their outmost effort to get the perpetuators and find the missing activists.
"I am saddened with what had happened. I call on whoever is holding them to surface them for the sake of their families," Garin said in a telephone interview.
Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. said the "peace and quiet of Iloilo had been shattered with this incident."
Sen. Francisco Pangilinan who visited Garachico at the hospital called on the administration and law enforcers to "step up efforts to locate the missing activists and apprehend the perpetrators."
"If we are unable to (solve the case), it is as if we have no government," said Pangilinan.