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La Union youth rally against political killings

SAN FERNANDO CITY (June 17) — Out-of-school youth belonging to the Anakbayan-La Union staged a lightning rally here to denounce political harassments and assassinations perpetrated by the military and the Philipine National Police (PNP) against members of progressive organizations branded as leftist supporters last June 17.

The Solidarity of Peasants against Exploitation (Stop Exploitation), Timek ken Namnama Dagiti Mangngalap ti La Union (Timek-LU) and other supporters joined the said protest action. The groups criticized the escalating political killings of activists and hit the military for allegedly cuddling perpetrators. They also demanded the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) government to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Among the victims of political assassinations were Bayan Muna-Ilocos Coordinator Romy Sanchez on March 9, 2005, Jose Pepe Manegdeg III of the Rural Missionaries Program (RMP) on November 28, 2005 and Albert Terredaño of Confederation of Unity for the Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE-Abra) on November 29, 2005, and the latest victim Rafael Markus Bangit of Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) on June 8, 2006. All served the partylist Bayan Muna.

The mobilization coincided with a dialogue between the 503rd Brigade of the Philippine Army of the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) based in Ilocos Sur and the United Church of Christ in the Phil. (UCCP) of North Central Luzon Conference at the Union Christian College (UCC). Other church conferences like the Amburayan District and Northwestern Luzon attended the said dialogue.

UCCP initiated the said dialogue in response to the death threats received recently by some church workers. # via NORDIS

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