LAUR, Nueva Ecija – A 78-year-old farmer leader who has been advocating land for the poor was killed right in front of his family while his young grandson who tried to help him was also shot by still unidentified gunman in Barangay San Isidro here Friday.
Senior Insp. Almario Evaristo, town police chief, identified the fatality as Pascual Guevarra, head of the local agrarian reform beneficiaries association (ARBA) and Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid na Nagkakaisa 3100 (Almana 3100) and the wounded victim as Ronnel Viloria,18.
Police has yet to finish gathering information from witnesses, Evaristo said.
Lilibeth Guevarra, 30, the victim’s daughter, said her father was repairing their kitchen, which is detached from the main house, when the suspect suddenly arrived and without any word pumped a hand gun on the victim’s breast.
“When we saw our father fell on the ground, Ronnel and I grabbed the gunman but he shot my nephew, too,” Lilibeth said.
The gunman then rushed to a motorcycle where his companion was waiting.
Guevarra died on the spot while Viloria was rushed to a local hospital.
Guervarra’s wife, 76-year-old Lolita said she could not think of any reason why her husband should die this way.
“Sobrang karahasan ang inabot na yan,” she said. She was inside their room when she heard two gunshots from the kitchen.
“Wala siyang ginawang kasalanan kahit kanino. Buong buhay niya ay tumutulong siya sa kapwa niya mahirap,” lamented the widow as she cried for justice.
Almana 3100 was created a few years back to thwart the effort of the Philippine Army to recall from the farming residents 3,100 hectares of several villages, including Barangay San Isidro where the Guevarras reside.
The lands where originally intended for the victims of Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 based on a proclamation issued by then Pres. Corazon Aquino. But since no Mt. Pinatubo victims decided to settle there, Guevarra’s group claimed that the proclamation provided issuance of the parcels to farmers actually occupying or cultivating them, supposedly as secondary beneficiaries.
The widow, however, said she believed the issue was already settled.
Evaristo said land dispute with somebody could be one of the possible motives of the killing.
Senior Insp. Almario Evaristo, town police chief, identified the fatality as Pascual Guevarra, head of the local agrarian reform beneficiaries association (ARBA) and Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid na Nagkakaisa 3100 (Almana 3100) and the wounded victim as Ronnel Viloria,18.
Police has yet to finish gathering information from witnesses, Evaristo said.
Lilibeth Guevarra, 30, the victim’s daughter, said her father was repairing their kitchen, which is detached from the main house, when the suspect suddenly arrived and without any word pumped a hand gun on the victim’s breast.
“When we saw our father fell on the ground, Ronnel and I grabbed the gunman but he shot my nephew, too,” Lilibeth said.
The gunman then rushed to a motorcycle where his companion was waiting.
Guevarra died on the spot while Viloria was rushed to a local hospital.
Guervarra’s wife, 76-year-old Lolita said she could not think of any reason why her husband should die this way.
“Sobrang karahasan ang inabot na yan,” she said. She was inside their room when she heard two gunshots from the kitchen.
“Wala siyang ginawang kasalanan kahit kanino. Buong buhay niya ay tumutulong siya sa kapwa niya mahirap,” lamented the widow as she cried for justice.
Almana 3100 was created a few years back to thwart the effort of the Philippine Army to recall from the farming residents 3,100 hectares of several villages, including Barangay San Isidro where the Guevarras reside.
The lands where originally intended for the victims of Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 based on a proclamation issued by then Pres. Corazon Aquino. But since no Mt. Pinatubo victims decided to settle there, Guevarra’s group claimed that the proclamation provided issuance of the parcels to farmers actually occupying or cultivating them, supposedly as secondary beneficiaries.
The widow, however, said she believed the issue was already settled.
Evaristo said land dispute with somebody could be one of the possible motives of the killing.
