Another activist slain

A barangay coordinator of the militant group Bayan Muna was gunned down in San Fernando, Pampanga Saturday night, in what left-leaning groups claimed was part of a government operation against activists.

A lone assassin shot 40-year-old Manuel Nardo with a caliber .45 pistol in front of an eatery-cum-videoke bar along San Miguel Boulevard in Barangay Quebiawan.

Last Wednesday night, Bayan Muna’s Cagayan Valley secretary-general, Elena Mendiola, and her live-in partner, Ricardo Balauag, were shot dead.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr., head of a task force formed to probe the killings of activists, said investigators have so far not found any evidence linking the deaths of militant workers, mostly members of Bayan Muna.

Based on Philippine National Police (PNP) statistics, 83 activists have been murdered since 2001. Fifty-eight of the victims belonged to Bayan Muna, 23 to Anakpawis, and two to Gabriela.

Razon said he is meeting today with the members of the task force, who include Chief Superintendent Jesus Verzosa, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Senior Superintendent Romeo Ricardo, officer-in-charge of the PNP Intelligence Group.

"I am confident that the task force will be able to meet the 72-hour deadline given by Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno," said Razon, who is also the PNP’s deputy chief for operation.

PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao tapped Razon to head the task force after President Arroyo expressed concern over the spate of killings of activists and directed the police to investigate them.