Bayan Muna Iloilo City leader slain inside home

Photo from Facebook page of Jory Porquia

ILOILO CITY –– Armed men wearing face masks shot dead a long-time and well-known activist on Panay Island here early morning Thursday amid enhanced community quarantine measures.

Jose Reynaldo “Jory” Porquia, 58, Iloilo City coordinator of the partylist group Bayan Muna, died from eight gunshot wounds, including one in the head.

Citing an account of a witness, Capt. Marlyn Roquero, Arevalo police chief, said two men wearing face masks entered a house, where Porquia was staying at 5:17 a.m. and repeatedly shot the victim.

The assailants held the witness, who was passing near the area, and ordered him to kneel at gunpoint but was left unharmed.

The assailants ran away after the shooting, according to Roquero.

Investigators recovered 9 mm and .22 caliber shells from the crime scene.

Roquero said the victim had rented the house along the beach, where he intended to put up a restaurant or bar for the Paraw Regatta boat sailing festival, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reylan Vergara, national vice-chair of the human rights group Karapatan, said Porquia had been recently active in food relief campaigns for city residents worst affected by the quarantine measures.

Porquia, who was chair of the League of Filipino Students on Panay Island during the Marcos dictatorship, was a prominent figure leading protest actions against tuition increases, human rights violations, and military abuses during the dictatorship, according to his colleagues.

LZB