Party-list group’s leader killed in Samar

TACLOBAN CITY – A ranking leader of a party-list organization was shot dead by unidentified armed men in Hinabangan, Samar yesterday morning.

Police said Sixto Elisan, 45, of the An Waray party-list, was tending his coconut farm in Barangay Bugto when several men armed with automatic handguns approached and fired at point-blank range, instantly killing the victim.

Eastern Visayas police director Chief Superintendent Eliseo dela Paz said they have taken in for questioning three suspects who were seen in the area when the killing occurred.

De la Paz refused to identify the suspects but revealed the initial investigation indicated the motive of the killing might be personal.

"We will have to wait for the final results of the investigation... we are still looking for eyewitnesses that would corroborate the evidence that have been gathered by police investigators... we will see if they are the real perpetrators," De la Paz added.

He said investigators are eyeing the possibility that the killing might have been triggered by the victim’s filing a spate of civil cases against some known personalities in Hinabangan town.

"We are open to explore all possible angles... hopefully witnesses should come out and help cooperate in the investigation," De la Paz added.

An Waray Rep. Florencio Noel, for his part, condemned the killing of Elisan.

Noel is the first representative of An Waray, an organization which advocates community based and peace-oriented development in rural communities.

Noel said Elisan had been active as an urban poor leader of the organization.

"I deeply condemn this, another incident of killing in Samar... I am appealing to the authorities to extend their efforts to resolve this case so that justice will be served to the victim and his family," Noel said.

Elisan became the sixth victim in the series of killings in Samar since the election period started last month.

On Jan. 19, University of Eastern Philippines-Catarman Northern Samar Professor Jose Maria Cui, a ranking member of the militant Bayan Muna party-list organization, was shot dead by unidentified men.

This was immediately followed by the killing of Augusto Daclitan, of the Alliance of Nationalism and Democracy in Samar.

On Jan. 25, Daram, Samar mayor Benito Astorga was gunned down while attending a public benefit dance in the municipality.

Four days after, Domingo de Luna, husband of provincial board member Dayday de Luna, was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding gunmen, just before Bedesto Gabiana, a village chief of Barangay Calapi, Paranas, Samar was shot dead by suspected communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels. — Miriam Desacada