QUEZON, Bukidnon -- A militant farmer’s group in Bukidnon is condemning the killing of a member, Aniceto Lopez Jr., who was allegedly shot by a member of the Philippine Marines in Purok 3, Barangay Paitan here on Monday afternoon, January 22.
Lopez served as secretary-general of Kahugpungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Bukidnon (Kasama-Bukidnon) Quezon chapter and was also a former councilman in Paitan for 12 years.
Jose Benemerito, secretary-general of Kasama-Bukidnon provincial chapter, told SunStar Cagayan de Oro that Lopez’s death is being considered an extrajudicial killing.
Benemerito said the imposition of martial law in Mindanao may have emboldened his alleged attacker, identified as Ernesto "Oto" Balopenios of the Philippine Marines.
Benemerito also said President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to go after the mass leaders of militant groups and the tagging of the New People’s Army (NPA) as terrorist group have encouraged the spate of killings among community organizers, human rights workers, and land defenders in the country.
Lopez alleged that Balopenios had a grudge to settle after a sibling was supposedly executed by the NPA.
“We still consider this as a form of extrajudicial killing (EJK) bolstered by Duterte’s orders on going after the mass leaders of militant organizations in the country. Had the government pursued the peace talks with the NPA then whatever problem there could be with Lopez and his assailant could have been resolved through the GRP-NDFP Joint Monitoring Committee on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) where complaints of violations from both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the NPA can be lodged,” Benemerito said.
Duterte, in a visit to Mawab, Compostela Valley, had reiterated his administration’s intent to crush the Maoist guerrilla movement like what it is doing in its war on drugs.
“When I said destroy, destroy. That’s the rule of war,” Duterte said Monday, January 22.
Relating the events that led to the shooting, Lopez said he was with his three friends having a drink at Purok 3 when Balopenios went past the group. He said one of his friends invited Balopenios to join them. He bought a case of beer for the group.
While they were consuming the fourth bottle, Balopenios spoke to Lopez in private, about 10 meters away from the group. One witness said that their conversation was inaudible but he heard Lopez tell Balopenios that, “Wala ko ana nga time, sa Cagayan ko (I wasn’t there at that time, I was in Cagayan).”
The witnesses said there was no commotion during their conversation and both returned calmly to the group. Lopez went back to the hammock and rested on while Balopenios sat beside the three witnesses. After 10 minutes, the suspect drew his gun and fired at Lopez, hitting his right cheek. The victim, according to the witness, muttered “aguy-aguy.”
One of the witnesses attempted to stop Balopenios from firing his gun again but the suspect turned to them instead, prompting the witnesses to flee. And more gunshots rang.
Another witness also heard Balopenios talk out loud and told himself: “Balikan sa nako kay basin buhi pa (I have to go back, he [Lopez] might still be alive).” And they heard more shots fired at Lopez who was already slumped on the ground and bathed in his blood.
Lopez’s gunshot wounds were mostly in his head while two wounds were found on his chest area.
“Overkill man to iyang pagpamusil uy, grabe sad,” one witness told SunStar Cagayan de Oro on January 23.
Meanwhile, Chief Inspector John Rey Barazan, the Quezon police chief, said the motive of the killing couldn’t be established yet but said it could have stemmed from a misunderstanding since Lopez and Balopenios were both drunk.
According to one of the witnesses, Balopenios was already drunk when he joined the group and there was not any altercation or commotion during the conversation.
Barazan said Balopenios’ status with regard to his membership with the Philippine Marines and his assignment in Palawan are being verified at the 8th Infantry Battalion.
Benemerito disclosed that early this month, Lopez told his Kasama Quezon chapter colleagues that the victim got an invite from a Quezon police to visit the police station to help facilitate a forum in Paitan. “But, Lopez declined to do it,” Benemerito said.
But Barazan denied it. “Sorry, but we never invited Lopez in any forum,” Barazan said in a text message sent Tuesday evening, January 23.
The witnesses and two of Lopez’ sons filed their affidavits at the Quezon Police Station on Tuesday afternoon, January 23. Barazan said the family is filing murder against Balopenios today, January 25. “We are just waiting for the death certificate and the family is set to file the case on January 25,” he said.