Sen. Leila de Lima slams killing of human rights defender

By Hannah Torregoza

Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday condemned anew the killing of another human rights defender under the Duterte administration.

Senator Leila De Lima
(File Photo / Jansen Romero / Manila Bulletin)

De Lima is referring to Neptali Morada, former regional coordinator of Bayan-Bicol, who was murdered by still unidentified gunmen who attacked him while he was on his way to work.

Morada, 40, who once served as Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) campaign committee head, was on his way to the Camarines Sur Capitol Hall in Pili, where he worked as a staff of former Vice Governor Ato Peña when the assailants attacked him last Monday morning.

“The obvious questions must be asked: Who killed him and what was the motive? This transpired just days after two human rights workers were slain in Sorsogon, both in the same manner: organized and merciless,” de Lima said in a statement.

“It is not taxing to the imagination to realize that these killings already follow a pattern, and what is troubling is the seeming cold response of the authorities,” she further said.

De Lima recalled that when Malacañang issued Memorandum Order No. 32 in Nov. 2018 deploying more soldiers in Bicol region, Samar and Negros Island, the purported aim was to “suppress lawless violence and acts of terror.”

“And yet, how do we explain the fact that these regions now tend to host this surge in the killing of activists and HRDs (human rights defenders)?” she pointed out.

“This is so serious a matter that the government should be reminded that civil society and the international community are aware and vigilant,” she stressed.

De Lima said there are now more than 150 HRDs who were killed under the Duterte administration. The government, she said, is accountable for the lives of each of these HRDs.

She also said the killing of Morada is another proof that not only poor drug addicts and pushers are the target of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

De Lima said this also shows that the government is also after Filipinos who stand firm and fight for human rights.