Death of mining activist mourned

THE Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Southern Mindano Region and other progressive groups condemned the death of Jimmy Saypan, the leader of Compostela Farmers Association (CFA) who was also known as a staunch anti-mining activist.

Bayan-SMR Secretary General-Sheena Duazo, in a phone interview, bared that Saypan was not only a leader of the CFA but also a mining activist who tried to protest the entry of the Agusan Petroleum Corporation since the Aquino administration as such development threatens to grab the land ownership of the farmers in the area.

“Ubay-ubay nsa ang mga death threats ug harassments ang nadawat ani nila kaubang Jimmy apan wala kini nagpaundang sa ilang pagdepensa sa ilang kayutaan (Many death threats were received by brother Jimmy but these did not stop them to defend their land),” she said.

Saypan was shot Monday morning by two unidentified men in barangay New Visayas, Montevista, Compostela Province and was immediately rushed to a hospital in Tagum City.

He was declared dead at around 2:20 p.m. yesterday. Duazo said that Bayan and other progressive groups could only see Saypan’s anti-mining advocacy as the main reason of his death.

Duazo also said that another co-activist, Bello Tindasan was also subjected to threats and his son’s feet were hit by a bullet due to a strafing incident within the residential area.

She said that trump up charges were also filed against both.

Duazo said that they believe that the 66th Infantry Batallion was behind the incident, adding that the military are “spoilers of peace, against peace, and against peace talks”.