Party-list member slain in Cebu

An organizer of a party-list group was murdered inside the headquarters of a local organization in Cebu last Saturday afternoon.

In a statement, Asa at Samahan ng Karaniwang Pilipino (ASAKAPIL) said the victim, Chandro Alfaro, 32, was doing some work inside the headquarters of Alayon at about 2 p.m. when he was shot thrice in the head with a Colt .45 pistol.

The party-list group identified the alleged assailant as Antonio Pestolante who, witnesses said, fled aboard a motorcycle. He is still at large.

"(Alfaro’s) unnecessary death is a big loss to ASAKAPIL," said Danny Javier of the well-known Apo Hiking Society, who is the party-list group’s national president.

"We hope justice will be meted out and the real motive for the killing established soon," he added.

The group said Alfaro contributed much to voters’ education in Cebu.

Alfaro, it said, used to work for the Buklod ng Malayang Magbubukid and later, with the peasants’ group Kamagsasaka-Ka.

ASAKAPIL is a multisectoral group which campaigns for livelihood, housing, education and clean environment for the ordinary Filipinos.