Student leader killed in Camarines Norte

17 February 2007
By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon

LEGAZPI CITY—A member and former provincial spokesperson of the League of Filipino Students in Camarines Norte was shot dead by an unidentified gunman at 9:45 p.m. Thursday—just four meters away from the gate of his school.

Human rights group Karapatan in Bicol identified the victim as Farly Alcantara II, 22, of Mercedes town in Camarines Norte, a graduating business administration student at the Camarines Norte State College in Daet, the provincial capital.

He is the first student leftist leader to be killed in the country this year and the fourth in Bicol since 2001, said Vince Casilihan, staff of Karapatan-Bicol.

The victim was on his way home aboard a motorcycle with his professor when he was shot five times in the head. The professor was unharmed.

Col. Henry Rañola, Camarines Norte provincial police director, said the victim was shot using a cal. 45 pistol.

Investigation showed the suspect wore navy blue shorts and was about 5 feet and 5 inches tall, he said.

Recovered from the crime scene were four empty shells and two deformed slugs from the gun.

The motive of the killing was still unknown and the police was still conducting a follow-up investigation.

Dr. Sonia Carbonel, director of the CNSC Office of Student Services, said Alcantara arrived at the school past 8 p.m. from the Ateneo de Naga University in Naga City where he attended a competition.

“He was very happy informing us that he won third place in the business plan competition he attended. I was in the guard house checking on the students who were going in and out of the campus to attend the school event that night,” said Carbonel in a mobile phone interview.

She said at around 9:35 p.m. CNSC professor Willy Bermejo came to the guard house and offered Alcantara a ride home since they both lived in Mercedes town, some 60 kilometers away from the school.