Human Rights

WE WANT JUSTICE! Militants and relatives of Celso Pojas, the slain secretary general of Farmers Association of Davao City-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, hold a picket here on Friday, May 16. They demand justice for the peasant leader, who, according to the rights group Karapatan, is the first activist killed in Davao city and the 14th killed in the country this year alone. They condemn the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Arroyo government's Oplan Bantay Laya (Freedom Watch) which they say, already claimed close to a thousand lives of progressive leaders and members since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo rose to power. Pojas was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-riding men on Thursday morning, outside their office in Maa. He is the first victim of political killings, just three days after Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano replaced Gen. Hermogenes Esperon as the AFP Chief-of-staff.(davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)