DAVAO CITY — A peasant organizer was shot by unidentified gunmen right after a forum on the people’s initiative against “pork barrel” in Tagum City.
Dexter Ian Celebrado, 29 years old has just attended the Inter-Provincial Forum on the People’s Initiative to Abolish Pork Barrel when he was shot by still unidentified assailants at around 4:30 PM today.
Police Inspector Janet Tirador, chief investigator of the Tagum City Police Office, said Celebrado was shot by gunmen riding a red Honda TMX motorcycle and sustained “non-fatal” wounds.
Celebrado’s companion reported that he was hit in his upper pelvic area and nape and that he is now recovering from the incident.
According to Hanimay Suazo of human rights group Karapatan Southern Mindanao, some of the participants of the forum have earlier monitored suspicious men who followed Librando when he left the forum venue at the Tagum City Cultural and Trade Center Pavilion.
The forum also served as the launching of the People’s Initiative in the province of Davao del Norte initiated by the Makabayan Coalition and attended by Bayan Muna Partylist Congressman Carlos Zarate.
Celebrado is a community organizer for the militant farmer’s organization Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP). The victim was active in the campaign against militarization of peasant and lumad communities in the province.
“We condemn in the strongest possible term this fascist act against activist,” said Sheena Duazo regional spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan. (davaotoday.com)
