Ernan, second of the five children of Fernando Baldomero, was monitoring the radio that morning of July 5. Although he knew his father was a target of the military, hearing the news about his father being shot at by gunmen still shocked him.
Fernando, a municipal councilor of Lezo and provincial chairperson of Bayan Muna, was shot dead in front of his house in Estancia, Kalibo while preparing to bring his son Karl Philip to school.
“My father and brother were riding on a motorcycle when the gunman went near them and shot my father on his left shoulder, then on his chin,” Ernan told Bulatlat.
The back rider, who was wearing a black jacket, a helmet and a pair of sunglasses that completely covered his face, disembarked and, using a handgun, started shooting at Mr. Fernando Baldomero at close range in front of his son. The driver was reportedly wearing a white shirt and a pair of denim pants and his face was not covered. According to the same information, the perpetrators were armed with a 9mm pistol and there was a long firearm at the back of the driver.
Baldomero was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Karl Philip, 12, was unhurt but traumatized.
Ernan said the military was behind the killing. “He has been receiving death threats. Officers of the 3rd ID [Infantry Division], in their radio program, have publicly labelled him as the leader of the ‘communist-terrorist movement’ in Aklan,” Ernan said.
Ernan said the murder was well-planned. For two weeks, their house in Aklan was being cased. His father knew he was under surveillance.
His brother saw the gunman and his companion. Three more witnesses could positively identify the suspects but, according to Ernan, the police failed to identify the suspects.
“I had hoped that my father’s case would be the first and the last case of extrajudicial killing but the culture of impunity is still here. There has been no effort from the President to stop the killings. His inaction has allowed the killings to go on,” Ernan said.
According to Karapatan, there are 16 victims of extrajudicial killings under the Aquino administration.
Ernan said Aquino never reprimanded the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) whose members are implicated in the killings.