On February 16, 2017, at around 10am, Edweno ‘Edwin’ Catog, 44, a Lumad-Mansaka, and a member of the Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma sa Walog Compostela (HUMAWAC), was shot by two men, suspected of being linked to the 46th Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army (IBPA), onboard a white XRM motorcycle in the highway intersection of Brgy. Furentes, Pantukan, Compostela Valley.

Catog was immediately brought to the Pantukan Public Hospital, where he was declared dead-on-arrival. The victim sustained four gunshot wounds – two near his jaw, in his chest, and his stomach.

HUMAWAC, led by Catog, supported the campaign of the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association, Inc. (MARBAI) farmers in Madaum, Tagum City. The farmers were asserting their right to the 145-hectares of land, which is part of the area utilised by the Lapanday Food Corp. (LFC) as a banana plantation. The disputed land was already awarded to farmers in 1996 under the government’s agrarian reform program but continues to remain in the control of LFC. On December 14, 2016, HUMAWAC supported the protest camp-out of the MARBAI farmers.

Catog’s name was said to be on the 46th IBPA’s order of battle list. On January 5, 2017, a relative advised him to seek sanctuary, after receiving information that he was targeted by the military. The 46th IBPA is under the command of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army.