By Bobby Labalan, Inquirer
Published on Page A15 of the December 14, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

SORSOGON CITY—The bishop of Sorsogon called on the government to put a stop to the series of killings of leftist militants following the murder of a human rights lawyer and a member of the leftist party-list group Bayan Muna.

Bishop Arturo Bastes also said the perpetrators of the killings should be put behind bars.

Bastes said the killing of lawyer Gil Gojol and Bayan Muna member Crisanto Frivaldo showed what he said was the callous attempt by the murders’ perpetrators to silence the people and stop them from airing their legitimate grievances.

“I condemn these senseless killings. It shows no respect for human rights. We just celebrated the International Human Rights Day two days ago,” Bastes said in an interview with the Inquirer.

The bishop said the government must look seriously into the killings as more lives are to be wasted in the murder rampage.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Sorsogon Chapter strongly condemned the killing of Gojol, which the chapter described as a threat to their group.

The IBP stressed that it should not be taken against the lawyers who extend services to known left-leaning organizations or individuals as they could not refuse those who need their legal service, similar to doctors who are bound by their sworn duty to extend medical help to whoever is in need of such assistance.

Lawyer Joven Laura, IBP-Sorsogon chapter secretary, said her group is considering asking the Melo Commission to conduct an investigation in Sorsogon, noting that the numerous political killings have remained unsolved.

Laura stressed that the police seemed helpless in solving these cases which gives the public the perception that the government was not concerned about these killings at all.

Provincial police director Senior Supt. Joel Regondola, meanwhile, revealed that police might have a good lead in the investigation of the Gojol killing after a witness was able to get the license plate of the gunmen’s back-up vehicle, a jeep, of Gojol’s assailants.

Regondola said they were now verifying the ownership of the vehicle, which might lead investigators to the identity of the killers.

He assured the public that the PNP would not leave any stone unturned in the investigation as he urged other witnesses to come out in the open and cooperate in the investigation.

He said police would look into all possible angles in the case, including the political angle after being informed that Gojol had earlier made public his intention to run as congressman in the first district of Sorsogon.

Not one of the murders of leftist activists has been solved despite an order from President Macapagal-Arroyo for police to put a stop to the killings.