By BEN SERRANO
Correspondent
BUTUAN City––Murdered tribal school director Emerico Samarca would be laid to rest in Barangay Bancasi here today. The school executive was brutally killed along with two others allegedly by a militia group in Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Samarca, 54, who was executive director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Livelihood Development (Alcadev), is survived by his wife and four children.
Samarca’s 54-year widow, Yosie in an interview in her home in Barangay Riverside Baan, this city, said a joint ecumenical service would be officiated by pastors and priests at the Guingona Park in front of the St. Joseph Cathedral.
She said they were expecting activists from Belgium, Manila and activists in Caraga region and other areas in Mindanao to join the funeral march.
“It will be a huge gathering of activists here,” Ms. Samarca said. Ms. Samarca and her son Karlgen said they expect “slow if not, no justice” in the killing of the tribal school executive. She said witnesses told her that the suspects were accompanied by members of the Army’s 75th and 36th infantry battalions. The military earlier denied participation in the killings of Samarca and tribal leaders Dionel Campos and Aurelio Sinzo. Multiple murder, arson, grave coercion, grave threats and robbery cases were filed in Sept. 7 before Provincial Prosecutors’ Office (Annex) in Lianga, Surigao del Sur against Bobby Tejero, Loloy Tejero, Garito Layno, and 20 John Does.
Surigao del Sur police director Senior Supt. Narciso Verdadero said the suspects were members of the armed group called “Magahat Force.”
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