Palace, Bello condemn killing of NDFP consultant
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday denounced the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant Randy Malayao, who was gunned down while he was asleep in a bus.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said no one should be killed for having a different ideology.
“We condemn this slay. There can be no act of violence against anyone regardless of whether they agree with the government, whether or not we believe in the same ideology or religious belief,” Panelo said in a press briefing.
He added: “We will never tolerate any unlawful killing in this country.”
Malayao acted as one of the spokespersons of the NDFP negotiating panel in Europe and represented the NDFP in peace forums abroad and in the Philippines. He was gunned down by unidentified assailants while he was sleeping in a bus in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya early Wednesday morning.
In the same press briefing, Panelo also condemned the killing of Quezon City barangay captain Crisell Beltran. Beltran was gunning for a seat in the lower house.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello, for his part, said he is “deeply saddened” by the killing of Malayao. Bello is the chairman of the government’s negotiating panel.
“We take the report with shock and disbelief. The assassination was rather cowardly,” Bello said in a statement.
He claimed that “misguided elements may have been on the loose” to erode the gains of peace initiatives under the current administration.
“But we, in the GRP negotiating panel, remain unperturbed even as the slimmest ray of hope for the just and peaceful settlement of the armed conflict with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-NDF is dimmed further with the silencing of the purveyors of peace,” Bello said.
He added: “It is our ardent hope that the life sacrificed by Malayao serve to give new life to our common desire for that elusive peace.” — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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