Noynoy vows justice for slain volunteer

MEXICO, Pampanga , Philippines  – “We will not allow this case to remain unresolved. Happen what may, we will pursue the perpetrators.”

Thus said Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr. after viewing the remains of Marciliano Dizon, slain coordinator of the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement (NAPM) in Pampanga’s third district, in Barangay San Lorenzo here yesterday morning.

“I strongly condemn the senseless murder of Bong Dizon and challenge the authorities to immediately arrest the perpetrators of this crime, bring them to the bar of justice, and forestall more election-related incidents,” Aquino said in a statement he issued before motoring to this town to attend the wake of his slain supporter.

“We will not allow these murderers to sow fear and scare our loyal supporters. Tuloy ang laban (The fight continues),” he added.

Dizon was shot dead Wednesday afternoon during a wake in Barangay San Pedro Kamuning also in this town. The gunman and his accomplice, who wore motorcycle helmets on top of ski masks, have remained unidentified.

In an interview at Dizon’s residence, Aquino, who arrived with his running mate Sen. Mar Roxas and local LP leaders Gov. Eddie Panlilio and San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, said he was “shocked” by the murder.

“We will not wait for the President to issue orders on what to do. We will do what has to be done,” he said.

Aquino cited the need to pursue judicial reforms amid estimates that only 18 percent of cases filed in courts in the country lead to conviction.

Roxas also denounced the killing, saying the LP was ready to help Dizon’s family in various ways.

Aquino also cautioned against speculations as police theorized that Dizon might have been killed by his former comrades in the rebel group Rebolusyonaryong Hukbo ng Bayan in retaliation for his allegedly turning back on them.

The police theory, however, was vehemently denied by NAPM chief operations officer for Pampanga Sandy Quiwa Bansil who witnessed the killing.

In a telephone interview, Bansil said she believes that Dizon’s killing was related to his work as NAPM coordinator for the third district covering the City of San Fernando, Bacolor, Sta. Ana, Arayat and this town.

“He was my best leader in recruiting and organizing local candidates for the Liberal Party in Pampanga. He was living a peaceful life after he arrived from London in 2008 until he volunteered for the NAPM and started getting death threats on the phone,” she said.

Bansil told Aquino that Dizon seemed to be aware of the threat posed by the two men they saw at the wake.

“I think he knew his life was already in danger and he was on his way out of the house where we were attending another wake so as to spare the guests there from whatever was being planned by the suspects. That was when one of the suspects shot him several times at the veranda as he was leaving,” she recalled.

Dizon’s wife and two children are still in London where he had worked for several years as a caregiver before returning to this town. He had planned to return to London after the elections.