Police said Annaliza Abonador, 33, an organizer of the Pagkakaisa ng Kababaihan under the Kapisanan Para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KPD), was killed in cold blood inside a gift shop where she works at the Dakki Business Center along Capitol Drive here.
Bataan police director Senior Superintendent Hernando Zafra said Abonador, a store assistant at the gift shop and a resident of Mariveles town, sustained nine gunshot wounds in the face and the body.
A client of the gift shop found Abonador bathed in blood at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Witnesses said they saw two men get off a motorcycle and enter the shop shortly before Abonador was found dead.
However, Police Officer Jayjay Taganas said neighbors could not provide further information because nobody heard the shots.
The shop is located in a busy area with many motorcycles and cars, he added.
Police had no idea that Abonador was a KPD member and an organizer of Pagkakaisa ng Kababaihan in Bataan until the KPD office in Manila issued a press release about the killing.
Police said the victim was a former factory worker at the Bataan Economic Zone and a union officer.
Store personnel near the gift shop told police that they did not hear gunshots from inside the store because it was fully air-conditioned.
It was learned that Abonador had two children, the younger one baptized only last Sunday.
Some colleagues at the KPD disclosed that Annaliza had planned to marry a long-time live-in partner.
Police recovered three caliber .45 shells from the crime scene.
Police are investigating the motive behind the killing.
Abonador is the second militant leader to be killed in Bataan within a span of two months.
A few months ago, Cathy Alcantara, also a member of Pagkakaisa ng Kababaihan was gunned down by unidentified men in Bataan.
Last Saturday, Manuel Nardo, Bayan Muna coordinator in Pampanga was killed in barangay Quebiawan, City of San Fernando, Pampanga by unidentified gunmen.
In response, Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao yesterday ordered Task Force Usig to thoroughly investigate the killings of Abonador and Nardo.
Speaking at the groundbreaking of the Pampanga Provincial Police Office at the Capitol Compound in San Fernando City, Lomibao said: "Let us give time for the task force to investigate all the killings of militant leaders."
On the other hand, Francisco Nemenzo, Laban ng Masa chairman and a former University of the Philippines president, denounced yesterday the murder of Abonador.
"This is the third time in three months that an organizer of Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya was killed in the same town in a style that bears the imprint of paramilitary thugs," he said.
"Last month, a Laban ng Masa national council member was slain in Davao using the same style."
The KPD accused the government of tolerating the rash of murders, saying many of the killings were carried out by "armed men perceived to be from the military."
Leftist groups charge that at least 93 of their members have been killed in attacks since Mrs. Arroyo came to power in 2001 after the overthrow of President Joseph Estrada in a civilian-backed military uprising.
However, the government has said the New People’s Army may have carried out some of the murders as part of an internal purge, though the rebels have denied this.
The military believes many leftist groups to be fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr., Task Force Usig commander, said yesterday that militant groups have not cooperated in the investigation of the recent murders of their members.
"There were groups doubting the integrity and credibility of the task force and lately we were told that they had a change of heart (in cooperating with the task force), like Karapatan," he said.
Razon said instead of helping the task force, the militants reportedly intend to bring the matter before the Commission on Human Rights.
"They are thinking of bringing the cases to the PNP, but they are also considering the CHR and other venues," he said.
Razon, who is also PNP deputy chief for operation, directed police regional, provincial, district and station commanders to exert efforts to reach out to the militant groups.
"We have found that a lot of these cases, particularly for the party-list members, 105 in all, are pending investigation for lack of evidence or no witness that would come forward, causing delays in the delivery of justice," he said.
Razon said Task Force Usig will use the Internet to make it easier for them to collaborate with the different units of the PNP and other law enforcement agencies.
"All these are being done to speed up the investigation, review (and) analyze all cases given to the task force," he said.
Razon added some groups have manifested their support while some groups continue to be doubtful about the objective of Task Force Usig.
"We’d like to assure them that the creation of Task Force Usig is to conduct a thorough investigation, to get to the bottom of all these cases and leave no stone unturned and to resolve them," he said. — With Ric Sapnu, Cecille Suerte Felipe, AP, AFP