Militants in Iloilo attacked; 1 hurt, 2 abducted

ILOILO CITY – Unidentified gunmen wounded a human rights activist and abducted two left-wing leaders in Oton, Iloilo, police and supporters claimed yesterday.

Jose Ely Garachico, vice chairman of the Panay chapter of the human rights group Karapatan, survived the ambush by unidentified gunmen who blocked his vehicle Thursday night.

The gunmen, however, snatched Garachico’s two companions who were identified as Nilo Arado, chairman of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Panay chapter, and Maria Luisa Posa-Dominado of Selda, a support group for political detainees, Iloilo police chief Senior Superintendent Melvin Mongcal said.

The two were driven away from Oton town and their pickup truck was later found burned in Barangay Guadalupe in Janluay town.

Garachico, who sustained a gunshot wound in the nape, was last reported in critical condition at the Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital.

According to provincial Board Member Domingo Oso, Garachico had told him in the hospital that his attackers were in civilian clothes, spoke fluent Tagalog and were armed with automatic handguns.

Police investigators later established Garachico was dragged out of the pickup truck he was driving by one of the gunmen before he was shot.

The victims were on their way back to Iloilo City from San Jose, Antique when they were blocked by the suspects in a Mitsubishi L-300 van. The victims were campaigning for Anakpawis party group, which is seeking congressional seats in the May elections.

Garachico was left for dead by the gunmen, who drove away in the pickup truck with the two victims, police said.

Mongcal said investigators are looking into a possible vendetta angle from a rival group.

Task Force Usig chief Director Geary Barias said the Iloilo provincial police have been tasked to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.

"We will wait for the investigation and we have to come up with some definite (information) before we say anything," Barias said.

The military, however, denied any involvement in the latest incident involving leftist groups.

"100 percent the military has no involvement with what happened," said Capt. Lowen Gil Marquez of the Civil Relations Group of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) over Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes insisted the military is behind the incident. – With Katherine Adraneda, Cecille Suerte Felipe, AP