Leyte bishop calls for end to spate of killings
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte: A Catholic bishop in Eastern Visayas called for serious action from government authorities to stop the spate of killings in his diocese.
Bishop Rex Ramirez of the Diocese of Naval said the killings in the third district of Leyte is alarming.
“The killings are not acceptable because we are Catholics and especially that we are under Lent,” Ramirez said in an interview.
“The people of the third district of Leyte are no longer willing to testify and talk of the killings for fear of their lives. Despite the numerous checkpoints I see on the roads, these still happen,” the bishop lamented.
He said the Diocese of Naval will hold a “Walk for Life” next month to remind the people of the importance and value of life.
The bishop issued the statement following last month’s series of attacks targeting barangay officials. The latest of these attacks involved the killing of Diot village chief Elizalde Tabon, village councilor Paulo Mendero and village watchman Rusty Salazar in San Isidro town.
Four gunmen in two motorcycles reportedly barged into the village hall and attacked the victims during a meeting. Two other village officials were injured.
The incident happened just hours after a gun attack on councilor Rodulfo Cajes of Tag-abaca village in Leyte on February 23.
Cajes was on the way to the Municipal Agriculture Office when he was ambushed. He died on the spot.
On February 20, a gunman shot and killed councilor Ronald Palacio in Tugas village, Tabango.
On Aug. 22, 2023, lawyer Elmer Mape, 52, of Barangay Poblacion del Norte, Villaba was also shot dead.
The lawyer was in his farm in Sitio Patag, Barangay Calbugos to harvest corn when he was shot for unknown reasons allegedly by Butchoy Oliverio, a former NPA surrenderer.
The lawyer sustained two gunshot wounds and died in a private hospital in Ormoc City.
The motive of his killing is still unknown.
On Dec. 23, 2022, Juanita Veloso, 77, a former municipal administrator of Villaba, also of the third district of Leyte, was killed in an ambush in Kananga, Leyte.
The former town official, who was the elder sister of San Isidro, Leyte Mayor Remedio Veloso, had just arrived from the United States and was riding the vehicle of her brother on the way home to Villaba town when ambushed by a still unidentified armed man.
The suspects fired on the town mayor’s vehicle. Forty bullet shells were recovered at the crime scene. The case is still unsolved as of this day.
The Manila Times tried to reach Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla for comment but he has yet to respond.
The towns composing the third district of Leyte are Leyte, San Isidro, Tabango, Calubian and Villaba.