NOYNOY SUPPORTER SHOT DEAD IN PAMPANGA

A supporter of Liberal Party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino was shot dead Wednesday night in Pampanga for what his peers claim are politically motivated reasons.

Marciliano "Bong" Dizon, 45, was a volunteer and a coordinator of the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement (NAPM) based in Mexico, Pampanga, which is known to be the bulwark of the current ruling party.

According to the NAPM chief of operations in the province, Sandy Quiwa Bansil, Dizon was an active recruiter for the LP. According to Bansil, Dizon "worked hard to get candidates on our side, but was frustrated because it almost always happened that the candidates would join NP or Lakas at the last minute."

However, Bansil said, he managed to persuade one congressional candidate to join the LP, thus earning the ire of an incumbent local official from an opposing party.

On Wednesday evening, Dizon and Bansil attended a wake in San Fernando. According to Bansil, she entered while Dizon stayed outside. After fifteen minutes, he entered and approached Bansil, hugged her, and told the people around her to help with the efforts of NAPM. According to Bansil, she saw him step outside and a few seconds later she heard gunshots. She ran out to the veranda, and saw Dizon was already bloody.

When asked to comment on the possible motive of the killing, Bansil said: "mainit talaga si Bong dahil sa pagka-expose niya sa pag-recruit. Malakas yung possibility na politically motivated talaga dahil sa trabaho namin."

Senator Aquino released a statement condemning the killing of his volunteer supporter. "Whatever government has done in curbing electoral violence is clearly not enough to ensure that the upcoming elections will be free from it," he said, adding "Government must do more. I strongly condemn the senseless murder of Bong Dizon and challenge the authorities to immediately arrest the perpetrators of this crime, bring them to the bar of justice and forestall more election-related incidents. We will not allow these murderers to sow fear and scare our loyal supporters. Tuloy ang laban!"