The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is deeply concerned with the attempted killing of transport leader and Bayan Muna General Santos coordinator Larry Villegas. According to news reports, the victim sustained several gunshot wounds after an unidentified gunman broke into his house in Barangay Buayan, General Santos City early Sunday, 13 March, and shot him.

Villegas was was said to have been previously a recipient of death threats and was preparing to support a political campaign prior to this Sunday’s attack.

Although Villegas survived the incident, CHR condemns this attack perpetrated towards a political convenor and urges for local police enforcers to act quickly in pursuit of those behind this crime. Whatever the motive may be, an assault to human life should immediately warrant action from the government to demonstrate that lawlessness and vigilante-style violence have no place in a democratic society.

At the same time, with national and local elections fast approaching, we urge local governments and law enforcers to remain alert against election-related violence meant to disrupt the lawful exercise of political rights and threaten other rights.

For its part, CHR Region XII is already conducting a probe and shall work with local authorities to shed light on the incident. ###