Bayan Muna condemns knife attack on NUPL Panay officer

MANILA, Philippines — The Bayan Muna party-list condemned the attack on an officer of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) chapter in Panay on Wednesday night.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlo Zarate, quoting a Facebook post of Panay Today, said NUPL Panay Secretary General Karlo Guillen was stabbed by two face-masked men with caps along Gen. Luna Strett in Iloilo City at 9:15 p.m.

Zarate said Guillen was stabbed in the head and at the back.

“We strongly condemned the cowardly but brutal attack on NUPL Panay SecGen Angelo Karlo Guillen who was stabbed along Gen. Luna St., Iloilo City at 9:15 P.M.,” Zarate said in a Twitter post.

https://twitter.com/kaloi_zarate/status/1367118805709721600?s=20

Zarate said Guillen handles a number of political cases, including the case of Tumandok indigenous peoples. He was also a victim of red-tagging for which he was detained in May last year for assisting Labor Day rallyists.

Atty. Guillen handles a number of political cases, including that of Tumandok indigenous peoples charged with trumped-up cases on December 30, 2020. Also a victim of red-tagging, in May 1 last year, he was among those detained by the police for assisting Labor Day rallyists.

— Carlos I.T. Zarate (@kaloi_zarate) March 3, 2021

https://www.facebook.com/panaytoday/posts/3898040613587381

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Ferdinand Gaite also condemned the attack against the lawyer, saying it seemed to be aimed to silence those who know the truth about the massacre of nine tribal leaders of the Tumandok indigenous people’s group.

He noted that it was only days ago, on Feb. 28, when village chief Julie Catamin, who was supposed to be a key witness in the defense of Tumandok tribe members, was gunned down.

“Kinukundena ko ang karahasang ito na tila naglalayong patahimikin ang mga nakakaalam ng tunay na naganap sa masaker ng 9 na lider-Tumandok sa Capiz. Ang pagpatay kay Julie, at ang atakeng ito kay Atty. Guillen ay lalong nagpapalinaw kung sino ang nasa likod ng karahasang ito,” Gaite said in a Twitter post.

Kinukundena ko ang karahasang ito na tila naglalayong patahimikin ang mga nakakaalam ng tunay na naganap sa masaker ng 9 na lider-Tumandok sa Capiz. Ang pagpatay kay Julie, at ang atakeng ito kay Atty. Guillen ay lalong nagpapalinaw kung sino ang nasa likod ng karahasang ito.

— Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite (@FerdinandGaite) March 3, 2021

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