Military death squad behind Vigan attack?

BAGUIO CITY — A human rights group tagged what it claimed to be a death squad composed of military agents in the attack on the Ilocos regional chairman of the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Vigan City Thursday night.

Roda Tajon, speaking in behalf of the Ilocos Human Rights Alliance, said they believe that a death squad pulled off the shooting of Bayan leader Billy Austin, a pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

Austin, together with fellow activists Lenville Salvador and Avelino Dacanay and two other companions as earlier reported, were walking along Del Pilar street in Vigan City on their way to the Bayan office when motorcycle-riding men fired at them.

Austin, who was hit in the legs, is now recovering at an undisclosed hospital. Salvador and Dacanay were unhurt.

Before the shooting, Tajon said Austin and Zaldy Alfiler, secretary-general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas affiliate Stop-Ex, saw a motorcycle parked near the entrance of the United Methodist Church in Vigan with two men on board when they were about to leave the place where they had attended a seminar.

"They noticed one of the men raise his hand as if flashing a signal," she said.

When they were about 10 meters away from the seminar’s venue, Tajon said Austin and Alfiler noticed the motorcycle-riding men and a van — with three men and a woman on board — tailing them.

"They continued to walk (on their way to the) Bayan office. Two motorcycles sped past them — one from behind and the other from the direction they were walking to. The van sped past them from behind," Tajon said.

When Austin’s group reached Del Pilar street, Tajon said one of the motorcycles headed toward them, with the driver raising his hand, and then shots were fired.

Austin, according to Tajon, tried to run away but when he realized that he was hit, he dropped to the ground. The gunmen continued to fire at Austin while they sped away, she said.

Senior Superintendent Marvin Bolabola, Region 1 chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, corroborated Tajon’s statement that caliber .45 pistols were used in the attack based on shells found at the scene.

Austin, according to Tajon, said caliber .45 pistols with silencers were used.

Efforts to reach the Army’s 50th Infantry Battalion stationed in the area about Tajon’s claim of a death squad proved futile.

Vigan Mayor Ferdinand Medina, however, insisted that there are no hired assassins in the city, saying there could be such guns-for-hire elsewhere in Ilocos Sur and in Ilocos Norte.

Bolabola said they have talked to Austin about the incident and would also do so with Salvador and Dacanay to shed light on the shooting.

"We are still completing background checks for us to chart possible motives," he said.

The Bayan-Cordillera office condemned the attack, adding that other activists had received death threats recently.

It claimed that Candon City councilor Robert Tudayan, Salcedo town councilor Rogelio Biteng, and barangay chairman Franklin Dungalen, president of the Association of Barangay Councils, received black ribbons from unknown senders last Oct. 4, 6 and 13, respectively.

Also recently, a barangay chairman in Candon City was seized by armed men after he had similarly received a black ribbon and remains missing until now, it added. — Artemio Dumlao