Bulatlat

BY BULATLAT
Breaking News
June 17, 2007 - 2:05pm

The Bayan Muna (People First) leader in Bohol who was shot Friday night in Bien Unido town died today while undergoing treatment for wounds in the head and left arm at the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City.

Mario Auxilio, secretary-general of Bayan Muna-Bohol who ran for provincial board member in his home province's second district, was shot at around 11:30 Friday night in Brgy. Poblacion, Bien Unido, Bohol in front of Belen Saison's store.

The gunman has been positively identified as Hilario Mandahao Diola, a member of the anti-communist vigilante group Alimaong which is under the command of the Philippine Army's 15th Infantry Battalion, and a resident of Bien Unido.

"Here is a political killing where a member of a military-handled vigilante organization is positively identified," said Bayan Muna secretary-general Nathanael Santiago. "We challenge President Arroyo to order the arrest of Diola and to hold the 15th IBPA accountable."

According to Bayan Muna-Cebu secretary-general Arman Perez, Auxilio was ambushed after meeting with Boholano fisherfolk and farmers' organizations who oppose an upcoming seismic survey for a prospective oil exploration project.

A Philippine Information Agency report says that the consortium of Alcorn Gold Resources Corp, Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp., and Petro-Energy Resources Corporation obtained government permission to develop and explore possible oil and gas sources in the East-West Visayan Basin off the coast of Bohol covering 440,000 has. of exploratory grounds.

This however is within Bohol's most revered marine amazon, of which scientific surveys show a highly diverse seascape many times better that the Mediterranean. Bulatlat