[APWSLMembers 196] PAMANTIK-KMU News Release: First blood shed under PD 1017 Teacher-activist shot dead

[Kilusang Mayo Uno]

fyi

Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 22:29:51 -0800 (PST)
From: pedro umali <granahe at yahoo.com>
Subject: NR.First blood shed under PD 1017


153 Bgy. Niugan

Cabuyao, Laguna

telefax: (049) 5310054

granahe at yahoo.com


Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang Mayo Uno

NEWS RELEASE
28 February 2006



First blood shed under PD 1017


Teacher-activist shot dead


Barely four days after declaring the nation under a state of 
emergency, the first blood was shed under Presidential Decree 1017, 
victimizing a teacher-activist in Southern Tagalog.

Napoleon Pornasdoro, 54 years old, was gunned down in the afternoon 
of February 27 near the Quezon National High Sch ool in Barangay 
Iyam, Lucena City, where he works as a teacher.

Two unidentified assassins riding a motorcycle fired on Pornasdoro, 
just after the latter came out from his work.  He sustained 5 fatal 
gunshots from a .45 caliber pistol in his nape, chest, ribs and upper 
leg.  Witnesses said the motorcycle driver wore a helmet while the 
gunman has no face cover at all.

"Sir Nap", as peers, friends and students fondly call him, is a 
member of the Confederation and Unity for the Recognition and 
Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE) and is currently the 
secretary-general of Statement-Southern Tagalog, an alliance of 
teachers' organization in the region.

The militant labor organization Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog 
Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU) expressed condemnation over Pornasdoro's 
killing, calling it the first blood shed under Presidential Decree1017.

"Sir Nap is a well-respected servant of the people.  By exhausting 
his talents and profession as a teacher, he has no other intentions 
but to build a just society for the generations to come.  Only those 
contrary to his belief will have the guts to si lence him," expressed 
Luz Baculo, PAMANTIK secretary-general.

"The killing of Sir Nap is a concrete gory picture of Martial Law now 
in effect in the countrysides.  Being the first murder victim under 
PD 1017, the US-Arroyo regime is hell-bent in employing all dirty and 
unlawful schemes just so she can stay in power."

"Brutal killings of leaders and activists have stepped up since GMA 
came to power in 2001 and it is not new to us in the Southern Tagalog 
region.  Now, with the country under GMA's emergency power, the 
military, police, goons and assassins are given full authority to 
suppress even ordinary citizens such as workers, peasants, teachers, 
priests, and almost everyone," said Baculo.

Baculo added that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's state of national 
emergency is now being 'calib rated' not only to arrest prominent 
progressive partylist personalities and mass organization leaders 
based in Metro Manila, but also to liquidate leaders and ordinary 
citizens in the countrysides.

Pornasdoro also volunteered as a human rights worker under 
Karapatan.  Threats to his life haunt him since he worked as a radio 
commentator in a local radio program "Punlaan sa Nayon" in 2004.###