NORDIS WEEKLY
June 11, 2006

 

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Dam activist’s death starts int’l concern

BAGUIO CITY (June 8) — The recent death of Jose Doton, 61, Tignay dagiti Mannalon a Mangwayawaya ti Agno (Timmawa) head and leader of several people’s and community organizations in his native Pangasinan, has raised alarm at the international level.

Representatives of the International Rivers Network (IRN), Friends of the Earth (FoE)-Japan, and a support group composed of Korean students are coming together June 15 in a press conference in Quezon City to denounce the threats and killing of political activists and environmentalists in the country.

Apo Jose, as Doton is called by family members and colleagues, was the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) provincial chair when he was killed. He was also the head of the local goldpanners’ federation, was barangay treasurer and NGO representative in the agriculture and fishery council of his hometown San Nicolas.

Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), the largest regional federation of indigenous peoples in the Cordillera, will also send representatives to the press conference along with the Legal Rights Center-Kalikasan, and representatives from the communities affected by the Laiban Dam in the Southern Tagalog region.

Doton was shot three times by two motorcycle-riding men on May 16 in Barangay Camanggaan, San Nicolas. He was on his way home from the town hall with brother Cancio, 57, where he checked on the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of his barangay. Cancio is still recuperating from the injuries he sustained from the shooting.

The alleged gunman, Joel Flores, was arrested on June 1 in Asingan town for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition. The .45 caliber pistol MK IV Series 80 with serial number 139764 recovered from Flores was a result of the ballistic exam conducted earlier. On June 6, Flores was out on bail.

Meanwhile, murder and frustrated murder were filed against Flores on June 7.

The Dotons still notice suspicious-looking strangers in the community especially during the wee hours of the night. # Abigail T. Bengwayan for NORDIS

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