NEWS
FLASH!
SP
Candidate Shot 9 Times
Peasant leader now fighting
for his life
By
Bulatlat.com
A
60-year-old peasant leader is now fighting for his life at the Quezon Provincial
Hospital in Lucena City after being shot nine times by two unidentified
assailants at around 6 p.m., May 12. The ambush happened in front of a peasant group’s office in
Gumaca, Quezon, about three hours ride south of Manila.
Pedro
Gonzales, or Tata Pido as fellow farmers and activists in Quezon call him, is
chairman of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) or
Bayan in Quezon and chairman of the board of the research institute Cedar.
He is running as member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP or Provincial
Council) in the province, endorsed by the militant party-list group Anakpawis.
Witnesses
said Gonzales was shot by two assailants whom they saw sipping soft drinks in a
nearby store. The assailants then boarded a vehicle and started shooting at
Gonzales.
Gonzales
sustained at least nine gunshot wounds. He was hit in the head, ears, nape,
chin, feet and torso. His wife,
Medy Gonzales, and the two witnesses brought him to the hospital.
Reports
from the human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of
People’s Rights) said he will be brought to a hospital in Manila as the
provincial hospital is not equipped enough to attend to his medical needs.
Alex
Holanda, one of Gonzales’ supporters and Anakpawis staff, said in a telephone
interview with Bulatlat.com that based on initial canvassing results, the
wounded peasant leader is leading in the elections.
“He
is a sure winner,” he said. Bulatlat.com
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