'Leaders lost: The 9 activists killed by Duterte gov't on Bloody Sunday’, 8 March 2021

The March 7 "Bloody Sunday" was a big day of loss for activists in the Philippines. Within hours, the police and military served a total of 24 search warrants in the Calabarzon region, leading to 9 deaths and 6 arrests. It was one of the deadliest days for activists in recent history, set against the backdrop of the Duterte administration's crack down on the Communist Party of the Philippines and groups linked to it... Each of them held advocacies that challenged the powers that be, from labor organizing to farmers’ rights to climate justice – all the way to their brutal end... Emmanuel “Manny” Asuncion was a known labor and multi-sectoral leader in Cavite... Michael “Greg” Dasigao was the president of SIKKAD-K3... As head of the organization, he assisted poor communities and handled concerns of local farmers in quarrying sites in the province... Puroy and Pulong were both activists with the group Dumagat Sierra Madre, which advocated for the rights of indigenous peoples... Among those killed, too, were the couple Chai Lemita Evangelista and Ariel Evangelista. They were fisherfolk who worked as staffers with the Ugnayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Pagwawasak ng Kalikasan at Kalupaan (UMALPAS KA) in Nasugbu, Batangas. The group is a peasant organization fighting against mining, land-grabbing, and climate change... They are survived by their 10-year-old child...