Pagpatay sa Mayor ng Calbayog City kinondena ng Makabayan Coalition

THE MAKABAYAN Coalition of eight progressive parties led by Satur Ocampo assailed the cold-blooded murder last Saturday of Calbayog City Mayor Reynaldo Uy and the wounding of Samar Board Member Eunice Babalcon.

In a statement, Satur Ocampo said that Uy had been very supportive of the patriotic and progressive platform of Makabayan and its affiliates in Congress and the local government.

“In fact, as a congressman, he even denounced the extra-judicial killings of activists,” Ocampo added.

“It is a tragic loss. We condole with the family and friends of Mayor Uy as we wish Board Member Babalcon speedy recovery,” Ocampo said.

Uy was a former congressman of Samar’s first district and was planning to run for governor with Babalcon as his running mate. He supported a recall petition against Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan and her brother, Vice Gov. James Tan, which was found sufficient in form and substance by the Commission on Elections last January. Recall elections are to be set for Samar.

Makabayan further stated: “We view with grave concern this latest case of electoral violence and we call on the Aquino government for an independent probe on the matter. Even state security forces, the military and the police, should not be spared from the investigations. Our own experience bears out the complicity of government armed forces in such violence, such as in the case of the Ampatuan massacre and the extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearance of activists.”

“We hope that this violence would not escalate into a full-blown war between families as we all strive for unity in justice and progress,” Makabayan concluded.