Another LFS leader shot dead in Bicol

A few months after the murder of Cris Hugo, a National Council member of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) in Bicol, another LFS member was shot dead in Bulan, Sorsogon today.

Rie Mon "Ambo" Guran, a 21 year-old student from Aquinas University was shot dead this morning at around 6 a.m. He was a 4th year Political Science student and was the LFS spokesperson for Aquinas.

Guran's killing also came a month after the abduction of 2 UP students, Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, in Bulacan, both LFS members.

"We are very upset and very much outraged by this recent murder. We are holding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directly responsible for this killing as it happened a week after she praised Gen. Jovito Palparan's acts in her SONA," said Vencer Crisostomo, LFS National Chairperson.

Crisostomo said Guran's killing shows that Arroyo's "vague" condemnation of political killings during her SONA last week "was only meant for PR".

"This proves the farcical nature of Arroyo's 'condemnation' of political killings: nothing is actually done to stop the murders and instead, murderers like Palparan are being honored. The implementation of her 'all-out war' and 'Oplan Bantay Laya' continue, targeting unarmed civilians and activists," said Crisostomo.

Crisostomo called on students to conduct "nationwide walk-outs and boycott protests" in response to the Guran's killing. "We have to stop this fascist rampage of the Arroyo regime. We cannot allow cold-blooded assasinations like this to continue targeting the youth of our nation. We will do every means necessary to make this government pay for its crimes and to get justice for the victims of the Arroyo regime," he said.

The League of Filipino Students (LFS) is a nationwide student organization formed in 1977 as an alliance against tuition increases. It has chapters in prominent universities, colleges and high schools accross the regions. Despite repeated categorical denial by the students, the group with around 10,000 members nationwide has been tagged as "communist fronts" and "destabilizers" by the government and elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). #