Human rights lawyer, driver killed in Sorsogon

A human rights lawyer and former provincial board member was shot dead in an ambush in Sorsogon province in Bicol early Tuesday morning, radio reports said. Two unidentified motorcycle-riding men shot dead Gil Gojol in the early-morning ambush, which occurred shortly after Gojol attended a court hearing in Gubat town in Sorsogon province. Radio station dzRH cited an initial police report indicating Gojol's driver, identified as Danilo France, was also killed in the ambush. The killing took place a day after another activist, Cris Frivaldo, was shot dead in Irosin town in Sorsogon Monday afternoon. Frivaldo was the younger brother of Irosin councilor Max Frivaldo who was also shot dead by two still-unidentified gunmen inside his house early this year. The Frivaldos were both members of the party-list group Bayan Muna. Initial reports indicated Gojol's van had passed by a military detachment along the national highway on its way to Sorsogon City when the ambush happened. At the time, a motorcycle and an owner-type jeep gave chase to Gojol's van, with the men on board the two vehicles motioning to France to stop the van. When France refused, the men on the motorcycle drew cal-.45 pistols and fired repeatedly at the van, killing France. Gojol got down and tried to run, but the gunmen fired at him, hitting him in the buttocks. When he fell, the men closed in and shot him in the back, killing him instantly. Police said they are looking into information an Army captain with whom Gojol crossed paths at a cockfight derby may have "ordered" the killing. Another theory involved some groups targeting Gojol's fellow human rights lawyers, identified as Bert Labitag and Joven Laura, who had gone ahead of Gojol from the courtroom Tuesday morning. Gojol, who was admitted to the Bar in May 1988, was allied with the "Aksyon Demokratiko" party of the late former senator and presidential candidate Raul Roco. He ran for vice governor of Sorsogon under the "Aksyon Demokratiko" banner in 2004 but lost to Antonio Escudero. Following his political defeat, Gojol focused his efforts on human rights work. Gojol's murder came a day after international human rights groups scored the Arroyo government anew about extrajudicial killings of activists and journalists. - GMANews.TV