Barangay captain murdered after Anakpawis solon inaugurates project in Davao

* From the Office of Anakpawis Representative Crispin B. Beltran

Reference : Rep. Crispin Beltran (+63)927.871.1080

Lisa C. Ito, Public Information Officer (+63)927.796.7006

Tel. # (+632) 931-6615 Email: crispinbeltran@gmail.com

URL: http://www.geocities.com/ap_news
*
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

*February 6, 2006 *

* *

*Rep. Beltran decries 'relentless and sinister assassinations of party list
supporters' *

*Barangay captain murdered after Anakpawis solon *

*inaugurates project in Davao*

* *

Assassins have claimed the life of another Anakpawis affiliate, less than a
week after meeting with Anakpawis Representatives Crispin Beltran and Rafael
Mariano in Davao del Sur for the latter's inauguration of a day care center
for his constituents.



Barangay Captain George Antolin of Brgy. Gredu, Panabo City, Davao del
Norte, was shot dead by four unidentified motorcycle-riding assassins at
11:15 a.m. on February 3, Friday. Antolin was also a local ally of Anakpawis
Party List.

Shots from a gun of undetermined caliber shattered Antolin's face, Anakpawis
coordinators say.

Days before Antolin was murdered, the victim and the Anakpawis solons
presided over the inauguration of a day care center in Panabo, a project of
Rep. Mariano's office in cooperation with the Panabo Homesettlers
Association. Prior to that, the Anakpawis solons inaugurated the
construction of a water system project in Davao City under Rep. Beltran's
office.



This was the last time he would ever see Antolin alive, Rep. Beltran said.



Anakpawis is still waiting for more updates and investigations into the
murder from their regional chapters. Antolin is the third Anakpawis member
or leader killed starting January 2006.



Reps. Beltran and Mariano strongly condemned Antolin's murder, calling
attention to the "brazen, sinister and relentless assassinations of
progressive party list members and leaders".



"While the motive for the killing has yet to be established, we strongly
suspect this murder to be the handiwork of these same sinister death squads
that have been murdering Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, and Gabriela leaders and
members nationwide ever since the start of Arroyo's term," Rep. Beltran
said.

"The suspicion that military or para-military death squads are behind this
is based on recurring observations on the manner with which our colleagues
are being felled one by one. The modus operandi of this murder is very, very
similar to that of previous murders of Anakpawis leaders in other regions,
such as that of Nestle union leader and Anakpawis Chairperson for the
Southern Tagalog region Diosdado Fortuna, who was shot dead by
motorcycle-riding men September last year; or Anakpawis-Bulacan Chairperson
Federico de Leon who was felled by assassins atop motorcycles while he was
on his tricycle October last year," Beltran said.

Beltran also cited the case of Anakpawis Party List Coordinator Abner Galan
who was shot dead in Camarines Norte by motorcycle-riding men early this
January, and Anakpawis supporter Robert dela Cruz, 43 years old and a union
leader of Tritran Bus Lines in Lucena, who was similarly shot dead by
motorcycle-riding men on January 25, 6:20 p.m. in front of his carenderia.

"It is ominous and suspect to note that the Palace has uttered not a single
word of condemnation nor urged an investigation into these nationwide
assassinations," Beltran said. ###