DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A relative of a slain activist farmer in Pantukan town, Compostela Valley said her brother was threatened twice last month.
Julieta Catog, elderly sister of 44-year-old Edwin Catog, said her brother had told her last month that a man had warned him to leave their place because his name was already “on the list” of the military.
“He told me there was a man who was telling him to leave our place because his name is already with the 46th IB,” Julieta told Davao Today in a phone interview Thursday night.
Julieta said her brother answered back: “Why would you ask me to leave when I’m from this place?”
She said she could not remember the exact date when the threat happened, but added that it happened twice.
“I told my brother: why would he threaten you when you have done nothing wrong, We are poor, you have not done anything wrong, you have not killed anyone. You were just working. That’s what I told him,” she said.
She did not, however, state what “list” it was and for what purpose.
Davao Today sought the comment from the military but the Army has yet to issue a statement on the allegation.
Edwin was a member of the Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma sa Walog Compostela (Humawac), a local farmers organization.
He was killed at 10 a.m Thursday morning by two men riding in a motorcyle in Barangay Fuentes, Pantukan town.
She added her brother was rushed to a public hospital in Pantukan with five gunshot wounds. But later was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Julieta said the family was clueless why Edwin will be killed. “The people know him. Even here in our village, he doesn’t have a quarrel with the residents.”
Edwin is the 10th among 12 children in the family.
The Army has yet to issue a statement on the allegations linking the military to the killing.
Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said eight civilians and activists have been killed since February 3, the day President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the government’s unilateral ceasefire. Seven of the victims were from Mindanao.
Karapatan urged Duterte to address the roots of the armed conflict and “veer away from the influence of warmongers.” (davatoday.com)
