Militant cultural group member killed, brother missing in Davao City

DAVAO CITY — A 24-year old youth and member of a progressive cultural group active during protest rallies was killed and his brother has gone missing, the human rights group Karapatan reported.

John Apiag, secretary-general of Karapatan in Southern Mindanao, said the body of Bernardo Clarion, a member of the cultural protest group Sulong Kultura (Sukol), was found late on Saturday in a house in the hinterland village of Callawa, Buhangin district here, where he and his brother Benjie, 21, went to visit a friend a day before.

Reports reaching the family said the house where the brothers went to was raided on Friday evening, where Clarion was reportedly killed and his still unidentified friend was wounded.

The younger Clarion is still missing, Karapatan said.

The brothers, who live in nearby Mandug village, were both members of Sukol (Fight), a progressive cultural group active in several protest rallies in the city, Apiag said.

“The family believes the incident was politically-motivated as Bernardo and Benjie were active members of Sukol,” Apiag said.

They performed a tribute to slain peasant activist Apolonio Maranan, 63, who was killed by unidentified gunmen on Nov. 23.

Clarion was the 57th victim of political killing in the Davao region since President Duterte took power, Apiag said.

Clarions’ father, Bernard, was a rights activist slain in Davao City in 2014.

“It is outraging to count another victim of Duterte’s bloodlust on the eve of commemorating International Human Rights Day,” he said. The military denied a hand in the killing. /je