Pesante-USA Condemns Peasant leader murder in Bohol



Los Angeles—The Philippine Peasant Support Network (Pesante)-USA and the Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) –Southern California vehemently condemn the murder or e assassination of a well-loved peasant leader in Bohol today (07 September 2006).



Victor Olayvar, 41, former chairperson of provincial peasant federation HUMABOL and current president of BAYAN-Bohol, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding suspected assassins of the 302nd Infantry Brigade at around 6AM today weeks after being placed in a military hitlist along with five other activists.

Olayvar was riding a habal-habal (passenger) motorcycle when the assailants blocked their path and shot the victim at close range at Bridge Caban, Brgy. Cantubod, Danao, Bohol. The habal-habal driver then fled and reported the incident at the Danao Municipal Police Station.Olayvar is one of six activist leaders targetted for 'termination within two weeks' in the hitlist of the 302nd IBde in Bohol.



Pesante –USA was informed that a hitlist, which was leaked to KARAPATAN by concerned individuals inside the provincial police headquarters in Camp Dagohoy, Tagbilaran City, on June 24, 2006, named the other targets as: William Boybanting , 58, councilor of Brgy. San Jose, Mabini, Bohol and chairperson of the provincial peasant federation Hugpong sa Mag-uumang Bo'l-anon (HUMABOL); Felipenerie Bejasa, 38, Vice-Chairperson of HUMABOL; Tomasa Santos , 56, Chairperson of Kahugpungan sa Aliciahanong Mag-uuma (KASALMA), a municipal chapter of HUMABOL in Alicia, Bohol; and Liza Serenio, 26, secretary-general of KARAPATAN-Bohol. KARAPATAN is withholding the identity of the sixth activist marked for military 'termination' pending consultation with his family.



Closed-in surveillance by suspected assassins began on June 26 at the KARAPATAN office in Tagbilaran City where the six activists first sought refuge. Two burly men armed with pistols posted themselves at a store fronting the office from 3 to 6PM, but immediately fled when confronted by KARAPATAN staff.



The six activists have been making rounds of local media outlets to protest publicly their alleged "death warrants," and the series of killings of government critics.

They also held last week a dialogue with Tagbilaran Bishop Leo Tumulak and 302nd IBde Commander Arthur Tabaquero, who denied such plot.



Pesante-USA also aware that during the first half of this year alone, two (2) activists in Bohol have already been executed by suspected agents of the 19th IBPA. Nestor Arinque, Chairperson of the municipal peasant alliance Hugpong sa Mag-uuma sa Mabini was waylaid on March 7 while fetching a sickly old man.



Pesante is also appalled that hardly a month after, Liezelda Cuñado, an organizer of Gabriela Women's Party was gunned down in her home by Joel Bayron, an 'intelligence asset' of the 19th IB.

Pesante-USA condemns the US-Arroy's reign of terror against the Filipino peasants especially those who are involved with the KMP, ANAKPAWIS, BAYAN MUNA, GABRIELA and other progressive groups. More than 745 persons have been killed since Arroyo asssumed power in 2001.

"The US-Arroyo terrorism will backfire and will only earn emnity and disdain from the people/ For sure she will suffer the same fate that befell Marcos, Estrada and other tyrants who oppressed the Filipino people." Pesante statement ended.

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