"Peasant activist shot dead in front of house", 5 Nov 2019

Peasant activist Reynaldo Malaborbor was shot dead by an unidentified gunman...in front of his house...

Malaborbor was a peasant activist and was a staff member of Pagkakaisa at Ugnayan ng Magsasaka sa Laguna (Pumalag). He was also an organizer for the Makabayan Koalisyon ng Mamamayan – Timog Katagalugan.

On Oct. 5, 2010, Malaborbor and two others were arrested by members of the 1st Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army on accusations of being members of the New People's Army...The three activists, dubbed the 'Lumban 3' were detained for five years before the charges filed against them – illegal possession of firearms and explosives, were dismissed.

Before becoming a peasant organizer, Malaborbor was a union president in Universal Robina Corporation in Calamba, and an organizer for the Trade Unions of the Philippines – February Six Movement.

His son, Rey Irvine, is also a peasant activist and a volunteer for Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (Kasama-TK). He was arrested along with fellow volunteer Nadeline Corazon last July 27. Charges for both were dismissed on September 20.

Rey Irvine is facing charges of two counts of murder in Gumaca, Quezon. Karapatan-ST decried both the arrest and the false charges as part of the Duterte administration's attempts to silence dissent through Oplan Kapanatagan.

Karapatan-Southern Tagalog blamed Duterte's counterinsurgency program Oplan Kapanatagan for the spate of attacks against activists.