DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Human rights group Karapatan reported on Thursday, September 28, that two farmer activists were shot dead in separate incidents this week.
According to Jay Apiag, spokesperson of Karapatan Southern Mindanao, the victims were 50-year old Reneboy Magayano and 40-year-old Toto Lompaodan.
Magayano, a resident of Barangay Coronabe, Maragusan town in Compostela Valley province, was gunned down by unidentified men riding a motorcycle at around 5:30 pm of September 28.
Apiag said the victim was shot while buying fish at Maragusan Public Market.
“Magayano was a staunch workers’ and peasants’ rights activist in Compostela Valley,” said Apiag.
On the other hand, Lompaodan was claiming his cash assistance under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) 4Ps program in Cateel town, Davao Oriental when he was shot dead at 10:00am of September 26, Tuesday.
Karapatan is still validating another shooting incident initially reported by members of Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma sa Pantukan (HUMAPAN) in Pantukan town, Compostela Valley on Wednesday, September 27.
Apiag attributed these killings to the Duterte administration’s Martial Law declaration in Mindanao.
“US-Duterte regime and his armed minions are accountable for the crimes they foisted to Filipino people, notably on peasants and lumads who were primarily victims of fascism,” Apiag said.
Karapatan has documented 49 documented cases of political killings in Southern Mindanao region alone under the Duterte administration.(davaotoday.com)
