Compostela Valley woman leader dies from gunshot wounds

Teresita Navacilla was wounded by two bullets that grazed her head and nape. (Contributed photo/Bulatlat.com)
Teresita Navacilla had succumbed to the gunshot wounds in her head and nape, and died on Jan. 30. (Contributed photo/Bulatlat.com)

Teresita Navacilla, leader of an anti-large-scale mining group, is the fifth activist killed this month.

By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – A leader of a small-scale miner group in Compostela Valley who was shot and wounded three days ago has died in a hospital in Tagum City at around 3:00 a.m. today, Karapatan-Southern Mindanao Region said.

Teresita Navacilla, 60, was rushed to the hospital when she was shot and critically wounded in Kingking village, Pantukan town at around 8:00 p.m. last Jan. 27. Perpetrators are believed to be soldiers belonging to the 46th Infantry Battalion, assigned to secure the Kingking Copper and Gold project.

Navacilla’s group Small-Scale Miners Organization is among those opposing the large-scale open pit mining. Environmental groups such as the Francis S. Morales Research Center (FSMRC) have already warned of the adverse effect of the mining project to the people’s livelihood and health and its threat to the biodiversity, and marine and coastal ecosystem.

Navacilla is the fifth activist killed this month.

In a separate incident, another progressive leader in Kingking village, Alex Josol, 46, was beaten up last Jan. 28 by suspected soldiers. He is still in critical condition in a hospital. (https://www.bulatlat.com)

Share This Post