On the 19th of August, Jane Labial was shot dead by unidentified assailants on motorbikes in the Compostella Valley, The Philippines.
The activist farmer and member of the Compostella Farmer’s Association played a pivotal role in halting the expansion of mining giant Agusan Petroleum that threatened the peasant, indigenous Lumad and land rights within the region. Labial was similarly campaigning against the increasing militarization and antagonistic agents in the Philippines.
Labial’s activism had previously resulted in issues regarding the State’s military and it is further alleged that the same military played a key role in Jane’s death due to the Duterte’s adversarial stance against rights defenders.