PLARIDEL, Bulacan -- The Commission on
Human Rights (CHR) is set to conduct a
parallel probe into the killing of a former vice mayor and a barangay chairman
in Bulacan.
Oca Marquez, former vice mayor of
Pandi, and his brother-in-law Mauro Capistrano, chairman of Barangay Bagbaguin,
were shot in an eatery here on Jan. 19.
“The
commission condemns this act of violence and calls on law enforcement agencies
to expedite efforts to identify and persecute the perpetrators, determine the
motive for the crime and give justice to the victims and their family,” CHR
spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said.
“Vigilante
killings whether politically or not politically motivated violate the right to
life and contribute to the growing culture of impunity,” De Guia said.
She said the
CHR-Central Luzon regional office would investigate the incident “in
recognition of the right to life of the victims and to help bring the
perpetrators to justice.”
The Bulacan
police created a task force to probe the killing.
The two were shot in the eatery in Barangay Bulihan in around 1 p.m.
Col. Emma Libunao, acting Bulacan police director, said probers are
eyeing either illegal drugs or business issues as motives for the killing.
In April last year, Marquez’s daughter survived an ambush in Barangay
Bunsuran. Libunao said she does not want to speculate if the incident was
related to the killing.
De Guia said
the commission would also investigate the murder of peasant leader and human
rights advocate Jennifer Tonay in Northern Samar on Jan. 17.
The CHR said
Tonag was an organizer of the Northern Samar Farmers Association and had
supported farmers in defending their rights over the land they till and in
demanding relief for victims of calamities.
De Guia said
the CHR regional office in Eastern Visayas deployed a quick response team to
conduct the probe.
No comments:
Post a Comment