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Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Activists rule out tribal conflict in slay of leader
By Rimaliza Opiña
BAGUIO CITY -- Militant groups have linked the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to the recent killing of Kalinga-based activist leader Markus Bangit.
Several activist groups in Baguio City accused the military of masterminding the death of Bangit who was vice chairman of the party-list group Bayan Muna in Kalinga.
Akbayan chairperson Anton Karl Riva alleged that Bangit was under surveillance by the military before his death.
Also, the wearing of masks by the assailant appeared similar to the operation of a defunct counter-insurgency group. This group, according to Riva, was formed to run after insurgents.
Riva also ruled out tribal conflict as an angle for Bangit's slay. He said tribal conflicts usually involve a discussion among elders, priests, and other leaders of certain tribe but do not normally involve assassination.
A report said members of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) already went to Kalinga to conduct an independent fact-finding investigation.
A still unidentified man gunned down Bangit last June 8 in a stopover eatery in Barangay San Isidro, Echague, Isabela. He sustained four gunshot wounds in the chest and abdomen.
A woman who was near him when the shooting occurred was also killed. (Sun.Star Baguio/Sunnex)
(June 14, 2006 issue)
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