Another Bayan Muna leader shot dead

02 January 2006

By Ephraim Aguilar Inquirer Southern Luzon and Michael Jaucian
Contributor

LEGAZPI CITY—RODOLFO “OMPONG” Alvarado, the Bayan Muna provincial coordinator in Albay, knew his days were numbered, his eldest son said.

Alvarado, 53, was shot dead inside his car on Dec. 31 in Ligao City.

“My father expected his death. While we were watching the news on television on the death of another Bayan Muna member three weeks ago, he told me that was how he wanted to die,” Carlo told the Inquirer at his father’s wake.

He said his father would tell the family in jest that upon his death they could just wrap him in a mat or buy the simplest coffin for him.

Alvarado was the 122nd member of Bayan Muna and the 818th victim of political killings since President Macapagal-Arroyo assumed office in 2001, according to Robert de Castro, Bayan Muna national deputy secretary general.

Activists blame military “death squads” for the attacks, a claim repeatedly denied by the Armed Forces.

De Castro said Alvarado, the 206th casualty of political killings in 2006, was the 6th nominee of the Bayan Muna party-list group, which has three seats in the House of Representatives.

Alvarado had served as the regional coordinator of “Tabang Bicol,” a relief effort spearheaded by the party-list group in the aftermath of Supertyphoon “Reming.”

He was the fourth Bayan Muna member killed in Bicol in the last three weeks, after Cris Frivaldo, Gil Gojol and Francisco Bantog—who were shot dead in Sorsogon.

Alvarado was the 42nd activist murdered in the region last year, according to Jose Pernia, Bayan Muna-Bicol regional coordinator.

White Corolla

Alvarado was traveling in Barangay Sta. Cruz on his way home to Barangay San Lorenzo when an unidentified man armed with a .45-cal. pistol shot him in his white Toyota Corolla, police said.

Initial investigation showed that the perpetrator was backed up by two other men who picked up the gunman after the shooting.

The suspects fled toward Bonifacio Street in the same village and headed to neighboring Oas town.

SPO3 Edgar Tuason, investigator, said there were many witnesses to the shooting but they chose to keep silent except to say that the suspects were not wearing bonnets.

Police rushed Alvarado to the Josefina Belmonte Duran district hospital but he was dead on arrival at 4:58 p.m. “He sustained two gunshot wounds in the left arm,” according to Dr. Shiela Salonga.

Carlo was on his way home to Ligao from his work in Legazpi City to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the family when he received a phone call from his brother telling him to come home immediately.

Smiling in death

“Even before my brother told me the details, I already knew what had happened,” Carlo said.

“When I saw my father in the hospital bed lifeless, I saw that he was smiling. I did not see any trace of pain or suffering in him,” Carlo said.

He said his father was happy during the last three days of his life because they were complete as a family.

His father was about 5 feet, 5 inches but looked tall.

He could command the respect of the people he would meet, according to Carlo.

Strict but jolly

“He was very strict but a jolly and loving father with a big vision for the community such as free medical supplies and services for the poor people.”

Alvarado, who passed the entrance exam for the University of the Philippines, dreamed of becoming a doctor but ended up finishing journalism because his parents could not afford the cost of a medical education.

Carlo said many people usually came to their house to ask for help from Bayan Muna’s medical assistance program. Whenever his father would do something for the people they would give him tomatoes, vegetables and “camote” (sweet potato) in return.

Lived life to fullest

“My father lived his life to the fullest and died selflessly. Let it be an eye-opener. We are proud of him,” Carlo said.

Alvarado died fulfilled because he was able to help a lot of people, according to his wife Rosanna.

She knew of no death threats received by her husband because there were only holiday greetings in his cell phone, she said.

“The only New Year’s gift we could give him is to continue the good things he started,” Rosanna said.

Big help to poor

Editha Otilano, 50, a farmer from Barangay Basag in Ligao, came to Alvarado’s house yesterday to see for herself if the news that Alvarado died was true.

“We could not believe he is gone. He was a big help to the poor people in our village,” Otilano said.

She usually accompanied the poor villagers in their place to Alvarado’s house whenever they needed assistance.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo said the killing of Alvarado was meant to weaken the party-list group’s chances in the May elections.

But he said the killings of Bayan Muna members would not deter the group from fielding candidates.

“We will turn our grief into a stronger commitment to champion new politics and the politics of change. The death squads of President Arroyo’s Oplan Bantay Laya may kill our leaders and members, but they cannot vanquish the progressive and popular ideals Bayan Muna stands for,” Ocampo, Bayan Muna president, said in a statement.

Formed by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and allied progressive groups in 1999, Bayan Muna joined the party-list elections in 2001.

It emerged No. 1 with 1.8 million votes, the highest in the party-list system, giving its nominees Ocampo, Crispin Beltran and Liza Maza seats in the House of Representatives.

Bayan Muna repeated this feat in 2004, obtaining 1.2 million votes, still the highest among party-list groups, thus ensuring it three seats. Allied peasant group Anakpawis won two seats and women’s group Gabriela, one seat.

Bayan Muna predicted more killings of activists next year.

2-year deadline

“He’s a member of a respected family in Albay but still he was not spared by Ms Arroyo’s death squad,” De Castro said.

“The incident only shows that Malacañang is ready to do anything just to beat the two-year deadline imposed by Ms Arroyo to wipe out her enemies,” Pernia said in a statement.

Lt. Col. Roderick Parayno, spokesperson of the Southern Luzon Command, said it was unlikely that the military killed Alvarado. With reports from Michael Lim Ubac in Manila; Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon, and AFP