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Isabela activists killed

After surviving earlier attempt

ECHAGUE, Isabela (May 10) — Another militant leader and her husband killed allegedly by unidentified military men on May 10 in Brgy. Garit, here.

Killed on the spot were Elena “Baby” Mendiola, 54, secretary-general of Bayan Muna-Isabela at the time of her death, and her common-law husband Ricardo Balauag, 51, between 8:30 to 9:00 P.M. on May 10.

A child of the couple narrated that the spouses just finished dinner inside the hut of one named Marissa in Barangay Garit and on their way home when they were met by their killers. Mendiola was shot first. When Balauag tried to help her, he was also peppered with bullets from high-powered weapons. Mendiola sustained six gunshots.

Presently, the Bayan Muna chapter in Cagayan Valley is conducting its investigation on the incident.

Earlier frustrated killing

It was learned that on March 10 this same year, Mrs. Mendiola was fired at three times in front of their home in Echague. Nordis sources claimed that the incident was reported to the PNP chief in Echague but the Echague police chief Amorsolo dela Cruz allegedly has no reaction on the event.

“Ako mismo nagtaka kasi parang balewala sa kanya ang kaso. Ni hindi man lang siya makitaan ng pag-alala sa akin bilang mamayan ng Echague,” (I wonder why she failed to take action on the case. I failed to see any concern from her especially that I am a resident of Echague) was the statements of Mrs. Mendiola when interviewed on the earlier attempt on her life.

On that earlier threat, the PNP insinuated that her colleagues might be behind incident, which Bayan Muna-Isabela dismissed and demanded the PNP to investigate and arrest the culprit.

Mendiola and Balauag are the third and fourth killed from the ranks of the militants in Cagayan Valley. Warlito Nagasao and Lorenzo Soriano were earlier killed under similar circumstances. Mendiola and Balauag are the 90th and 91st BM members who were killed since April 2001.

Militant groups in the region also reported a series of threats and attempted kidnappings against their members. Earlier, Karapatan reported that armed men tried to kidnap Gina Ricardo, Information Officer of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Isabela (BAYAN-Isabela) last March 3 this year; and the shooting and failed kidnapping of Bino Abrojena and Jong Bautista, both officers of the Dangayan-Cagayan Valley, a farmers’ alliance in the Cagayan Valley region.

Military culprit

Bayan spokesperson Reginald Ugaddan claimed that the military and the PNP are the culprits in the killing. “This is part of the systematic moves to silence dissenters against government’s anti-people policies,” he said. He added that the killings are part of Oplan Bantay Laya of the Armed forces of the Philippines.

The Mendiola family, meanwhile, expressed fear that the case would be like the other cases where justice remain elusive, despite government assurance to investigate and solve the killings. # Michael Agonoy for Nordis

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