August 25
PHILIPPINES:
Anti-death penalty activist slain
In Davao, Vity, a former student activist was summarily executed while on
his way to attend a human rights conference in Bajada in Davao City on
Tuesday.
Rashid "Jun" Manahan, 27, married, of Seawall at Barangay 76-A in Bucana,
was the 66th person slain this year alone by a shadowy vigilante group
that has since been dubbed the "Davao Death Squad".
The victim was a non-government organization worker who staunchly
campaigned against summary executions and the death penalty.
Manahan was executive director of the Community Resource Development
Center and coordinator of Mamamayang Tutol sa Bitay (Citizens Against
Death Penalty)-Davao chapter.
Manahan was a student activist when he studied at the University of
Mindanao (UM) and was the founder of Trivia Epsilon Omega, a fraternity in
UM.
Police investigators said Manahan was walking toward Ponce Suites at the
Doa Vicenta Subdivision in Bajada around 12:20 p.m. to attend a forum on
the death penalty and summary killings in Davao City when two men on board
a Honda Wave motorcycle with plate number LFA-119 shot him several times
before speeding off.
Four empty shells from a caliber .45 pistol were recovered from the crime
scene.
Manahan sustained 4 gunshot wounds and died while being transported to the
Davao Medical Center.
The forum he was to attend was to have Martha Alvarez of the Asia
Monitoring Team of the European Union and Dr. Nymia Simbulan, executive
director of the Manila-based Philippine Human Rights Information Center,
as guest speakers.
"The death of Rashid does not mean the end of our campaign against the
death penalty and summary execution," a member of the MTB said.
"He strongly opposed summary killings, bisan sa una pa, classmate man gud
nako na siya og kabalo gyod ko ana (even before I knew that because he was
my classmate)," Danilo Reyes, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines
(TFDP) staff, told Sun.Star Davao.
Manahan's death follows that of a recruiter of a security agency who was
shot in front of his wife just outside their house at Times Beach in
Matina at 8:20 p.m. Sunday.
Joseph Lirog, 35, of Happy Times along Times Beach, was outside his home
enjoying the sea breeze just after dinner with his wife and brother when
he was shot 6 times by an unidentified gunman, who immediately fled on
board a motorcycle that had two men waiting for him.
Lirog's wife accuses a neighbor, one Bebeng, of being responsible for the
death of her husband.
Lirog had a quarrel with Bebeng over Lirog's alleged mauling of his
neighbor's younger son. The accusation was denied by Bebeng's sister.
(source: Sun Star)
