Leader of Davao protests on relief goods slain

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Unidentified gunmen shot dead Monday night a barangay official, who was among those who led the protest against the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s slow distribution of relief goods to victims of typhoon “Pablo.”

Cristina Jose, a kagawad of Barangay Binondo in Baganga, was among the leaders of the three-day campout of Pablo survivors at the DSWD office here last week.

Jose, also an official of the Barug Katawhan militant group, was said to have reported about the alleged harassment against those who joined a barricade  at the DSWD office here.

“The time at which Jose was killed should raise suspicions on the motives of the perpetrators. It is alarming that she was killed while on her way to report the cases of military harassment, and after the three-day campout of the protesting Pablo survivors. The administration should immediately conduct a thorough investigation on the incident and carefully examine the purported involvement of the military,” said Pauline Gidget Estella, spokesperson for Rock The Vote Philippines, a network of young individuals and groups calling for transparent elections and genuine political reforms.

Estella urged the Aquino administration to investigate, at the soonest possible time, the alleged mishandling of calamity funds for victims of Pablo.

Meanwhile, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano aired his concern about the slow pace of the implementation of the rehabilitation programs in areas hit by typhoon “Sendong” more than a year ago.– With Marvin Sy