Who are the victims of political killings from the teachers ranks?

Leima Fortu

• Public School Teacher, Suqui Elementary School, Calapan, Mindoro Oriental, Philippines

• 27 years old, single

• Acting Secretary-General of KARAPATAN-Mindoro Oriental

• Volunteer Staff of Mindoro for Justice and Peace

• Member of Bayan Muna Calapan City

• A resident of Barangay Maidlang, Calapan City, Mindoro Oriental, Philippines

At around 11:00 PM of February 13, 2004, Vice Mayor Juvy Magsino, 34 years old and a resident of Barangay Adrealuna, Naujan, Mindoro Oriental, Philippines, along with Leima Fortu, 27 years old and a resident of Barangay Maidlang, Calapan, Mindoro Oriental, Philippines were on their way to Vice Mayor Magsino's friend to get a computer in Pinagsabangan, Naujan, Mindoro Oriental. After passing through a place called "Curba" in Pinagsabangan going to Amuguis, they were already being tailed by elements believed to belong to the 204th Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army. In Barangay Amuguis, the two men on board a motorcycle with no plate number peppered the Vice Mayor's vehicle with bullets. Witnesses claimed that the two were armed with a 9mm gun and an armalite. The General Headquarters of the 204th Infantry Brigade was only a hundred meters away from the ambush site.

Vice Mayor Magsino suffered three gunshot wounds on her head without exit points; and one each on her chest, shoulder and neck. Leima also had gunshot wounds on her chest, near her right ear, knee and shoulder.

At the time of her death Vice Mayor Magsino was the Chairperson of Mindoro for Justice and Peace, Chairperson of the Vice Mayors' League in Mindoro Oriental, Philippines, honorary member of Gabriela and was running for Mayor of Naujan against the incumbent Mayor Norberto Mendoza. She was also a known human rights lawyer for KARAPATAN-Mindoro Oriental and the fisherfolks group PAMALAKAYA-Mindoro Oriental.

Leima Fortu was a public school teacher at the Suqui Elementary School in Calapan, Mindoro Oriental, Philippines. She was Acting Secretary General of KARAPATAN-Mindoro Oriental, a volunteer staff of Mindoro for Justice and Peace and a member of the partylist group Bayan Muna Calapan City Chapter. #

Vitoria Samonte

• teacher, Andres Soriano College, Bislig City

• national council member, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT)

• chairperson of ACT-BISLIG

• president of the Andres Soriano College Employees Union

• regional vice-president of Kilusang Mayo Uno, CARAGA section (KMU-CARAGA)

• president of Drivers and Operators of Cumawas and BLISS Association (DOCUBA)

• general secretary of the Bislig City Alliance of Transport Association (BCATA)

• president of the Castillo Bagong Lipunan Homeowners Association (CBLHA)

On September 30, 2005, at about 9:40 p.m, Ms. Vitoria Samonte rented a tricycle along with her colleague, Ms. Mansueta "Sweet" Sanchez, on their way from Andres Soriano College to the Bliss Project offices in Barangay Mancarogo. At about 100 metres from the school, a man flagged down the driver and asked for a ride. The driver firstly refused because he already had some clients, but Ms. Samonte offered the man to share the motorcycle, as his destination was on their way. The man sat on the back seat of the tricycle, beside Ms. Sanchez, although the latter asked him to sit in the front. On the way, Ms. Samonte asked the man twice where exactly he wanted to stop, but he replied each time that he wanted to go "further ahead".

When Ms. Samonte and Ms. Sanchez finally arrived near their destination, Ms. Samonte asked the driver to bring the man first, wherever he wanted to go. The tricycle arrived in a dark part of the highway, about 100 meters away from the Bliss Project office, and the man stopped there. He walked along the street and got on a motorcycle.

Suddenly, Ms. Samonte felt she had been stabbed in the back. Ms. Sanchez pulled a knife out of her back. Ms. Samonte was taken to the nearest hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival. #

Napoleon Pornasdoro

• teacher, Quezon National High School in Lucena City

• secretary-general, Southern Tagalog Teachers’ Movement for Development (STATEMENT)

• national council member, Alliance of Concerned Teachers

• coordinator, Bayan Muna-Lucena chapter

Late in the afternoon of February 27, 2006, Napoleon Pornasdoro, 54 years old and a public school teacher in Quezon National High School was shot dead by two unidentified, motorcycle-riding assailants in Lucena City. It was merely a few days after Gloria Arroyo declared the State of National Emergency or Presidential Proclamation 1017 when the incident occured. He sustained 5 gunshot wounds (1 in the head, 3 in the body and 1 in the leg) that immediately caused his death.

Pornasdoro was a known leader of the teachers’ movement in Quezon and an active campaigner for Bayan Muna partylist in the 2004 election. #

***  These teachers are not the only victims of summary executions and human rights violations under Gloria Arroyo's regime. For more information click here.

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