Bayan leader, 4 pals survive attack

VIGAN CITY — The Ilocos chairman of the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and four companions survived an attack here Thursday night, leaving two of them wounded.

Bayan leader Billy Austin, 39, suffered gunshot wounds in the legs and was being treated in an undisclosed hospital.

Two of his companions were identified as Lenville Salvador, a provincial leader of Bayan Muna, and Avelino Dacanay, chairman of the Solidarity of Peasants Against Exploitation, an affiliate of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. Both were unhurt.

Roda Tajon, speaking in behalf of the Ilocos Human Rights Alliance, said Austin, also a pastor of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines, and his companions were walking along Del Pilar street on their way to their office when motorcycle-riding men fired at them.

Austin is now being tightly guarded in the hospital by policemen, said Senior Superintendent Marvin Bolabola, Region 1 chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, who went here to personally lead the investigation into the shooting.

Vigan City Mayor Ferdinand Medina directed the police to come up with immediate results, expressing fear that the attack might affect local tourism.

"I hope it will not affect the outlook on Vigan," he said. Vigan, the capital of Ilocos Sur, is one of the primary tourist destinations in the North.

Medina said there was a power outage along Del Pilar street when the shooting happened.

Medina insisted that the incident was an isolated one. "It could have been an internal (thing) or (motivated by) personal grudge," he said. — With Teddy Molina