By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Urban poor advocates and human rights defenders are grieving over the killing of Negros-based community organizer who was gunned down by motorcycle-riding assailants last week along a busy road in Silay City.
Jesus Pason Jr., a tricycle driver and a member of their local homeowners association, was shot on April 15, 2021. He was brought to Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital. Responders were told, however, that the hospital is not equipped to deal with the gunshot injury at the back of Pason’s head. He died while being given emergency treatment.
Urban poor group Kadamay said the 33-year-old community organizer spearheaded the occupation of idle government housing in 2018. This was inspired by the same Occupy movement in Pandi, Bulacan. Since then, the group said they have since become “regular targets” of the Duterte administration.
Pason’s killing, too, came amid the intensified human rights abuses in the Negros island under the Duterte administration. Among these include the extrajudicial killings of human rights lawyer Benjamin Ramos, activist Zara Alvarez, scores of farmers and other human rights defenders.
Resourceful, generous
Pason’s family hailed from the municipality of Toboso. Their family later moved to Silay City, where he took on all jobs possible to make ends meet. As a dedicated uncle, he sent his nieces to school.
“Madiskarte ‘yang tao,” (He was very resourceful) Clarizza Singson of Karapatan-Negros told Bulatlat in a phone interview.
Singson said he drove a passenger tricycle to make a living. He would also occasionally get hired to deliver goods and vegetables, or as school service for young children. Sometimes, he would also work as a construction worker.
Pason, known to many as a kind-hearted and cheerful person, would always bring local delicacies to their office.
“Where’s my Otap? Where’s my Biscocho?” Singson would jokingly greet him whenever they would see each other.
Pason’s remains would be transferred to his hometown in Toboso, where he would later be interred.
Kadamay’s Mimi Doringo said Negros island has turned bloodied in the hands of President Duterte with the rampant killings. She added, “people are either dying out of poverty or of killings. This will not stop until Duterte is not out of power.” 
