On the 27th of November 2017, 64-year-old Apolonio Maranan was shot dead by an unknown individual on a motorbike in Buhangin, Davao del Sur, in the Philippines.

The local human rights group, Karapatan, allege that Maran was gunned down due to his activism in the local radical, left-wing trade union, known as Anakpawkis. Maranan was a coordinator and local leader for his regional chapter. Anakpwakis works to promote and support labour and peasant rights throughout the Philippines.

Maranan’s wife stated that prior to his death, Maranan had been approached by a figure claiming to be an intelligence asset on behalf of the military. However, the details of the conversation are not known.

Maranan’s death comes amid vocal criticism of the Duterte regime that permits aggressive and violent oppression of human rights and labour activist throughout the Philippines.