EDITORIAL - Silencing an activist

On social media, Quintin “Ting” San Diego took particular pride in four of his life’s advocacies. One was his planting of what by his count were a million trees in his vast agricultural estate in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija. Another was his recognition as a peace advocate by a Cordillera tribe in 2013.

Also a source of pride for him was his initiation of a movement to end political dynasties. Considering the political environment, his Movement Against Dynasty seemed to have the appropriate acronym, MAD.

Yet one advocacy of MAD – a fourth source of pride for San Diego and for which he is known – was no mad, quixotic quest. MAD was one of the petitioners in the landmark case that sought the abolition of the congressional pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund and its derivative under the tuwid na daan or straight path, the Disbursement Acceleration Program. The Supreme Court agreed with the petitioners and struck down both the PDAF and DAP, barring the executive and Congress from employing similar schemes in the utilization of public funds.

Last Saturday afternoon, San Diego was walking back to his cottage after meeting with workers at his resort in a remote village in Dingalan, Aurora when a man approached him and opened fire with a 9mm automatic. The gunman fled with a companion on a motorcycle as San Diego lay dying.

Friends said San Diego had been receiving death threats from unknown sources. In addition to his known advocacies, San Diego also reportedly rejected attempts by the New People’s Army to shake him down for “revolutionary taxes.” The NPA has not claimed responsibility for the attack.

San Diego had worthy advocacies that could have earned him enemies. There are reportedly witnesses to his murder so probers should have leads to pursue and be able to speed up the delivery of justice. It would be unfortunate if San Diego becomes just the latest statistic in the long string of unexplained killings in the country.