LOAY.- The killing of an executive of a cooperative based in Loay who at the same time was a tabloid publisher brought to light the distinction of whether he was both or the preference was on the more glamorous title of one who was involved in media work. This came to light as the National Union of Journalists of the Phils. (NUJP), Bohol chapter, expressed its sympathy and condemned the killing of Antonio Silagon, general manager of the Loay Multi-Purpose Cooperative while doubling as publisher of the tabloid Bohol Balita Daily News. In cases where journalists were murdered, the NUJP is always at the forefront to condemn the killing adding it is an assault to media freedom. In the case of Silagon, his death, merited the media organization’s condemnation in recognition of his media image as a tabloid publisher. His death went down in Bohol media history as the first victim to have succumbed to media violence in this part of the Philippines.

Unlike in other places in the country where killings of media men were common place, Bohol is still the safest place for media practitioners, to strut their wares. Until Silagon’s death, there’s no telling in this part of Bohol that he will be the last to take a bullet from unknown assailants. This came about as relatives of the slain tabloid publisher cum cooperative general manager cried for justice and urged authorities concerned to speed up the investigation. In a press conference yesterday at the coop office in Loay, Gina Silagon Solis, the victim’s daughter said her family wanted justice to be served and perpetrators put behind bars. She serves as spokesperson of the family. Silagon’s remains were brought at his residence in Upper Loay Poblacion after his death Thursday afternoon. She said the family wanted to know the killers of his father, saying those responsible have no right to take on his life. If ever his father has erred in whatever ways and dealings while he was alive, why shoot him, she asked. The killing was not the right way to take revenge on his father. She said she has no idea what was the motive behind the killing of his father.

For Silagon, Thursday morning was a fateful day when he was waylaid by two armed men while he was on his way to the bus terminal in Dao. Two hooded suspects and wearing black jackets followed Silagon while walking from a rented house in sitio Lanao, Dao, on his way to the terminal for his daily routine enroute to his office in Loay. He was said to have maintained a live-in partner in Dao, giving way to speculation that his relationship with another woman could be one of the motives of his murder. Another angle police is eyeing is a land dispute involving both houses he was living. Reports reaching the Post revealed that before Silagon breathed his last at the Gov. Ceklestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, he was quoted to have mentioned a land dispute. There was no clear information as to which land he was referring to—the one he was living in Dao or that in Loay. Police refused to give more details of the land conflict angle. Silagon took two bullets in the nape and one of which exited through his nose while the other one got out from the stomach.

COOP SAVIOR

During his lifetime, Silagon was credited of having resuscitated the dying Loay credit cooperative. In 1995, Silagon, virtually took the bull by the horn by saving the dying cooperative into one of the most profitable cooperatives in Bohol. The fallen Silagon was to celebrate his 74 th birthday on January 9, 2012. He died in the afternoon of Thursday after being shot about 8:00 AM the same day. He is survived by his wife, Arlinda, children --- Rey, Lilian, Gina, Resse and Leizl ---- and 11 grandchildren. In separate interviews, cooperative officers would not give comment on why Silagon was slain. His daughter and coop employees bared there were some premonitions prior to his death. Gina Silagon said she was told recently that the coop his father managed is already stable after several years ago of struggling from a sea of red ink. One such premonition was recalled by Janet Ramiro, the coop officer who took the position vacated by Silagon, saying in one meeting presided over by the manager, he accidentally mentioned the possibility that he would not be around during the Christmas party. The meeting was called to discuss plans for the coming Christmas party of the coop. It was not clear if the party will go on now that their manager is dead. Not only was the coop way above water in dealing with its 14,000 members, under Silagon it also succeeded in having branching out to seven other Bohol towns. With Silagon’s death, national officers of NATCO, a national federation of cooperatives, were slated to come anytime. They were reportedly stranded in Cebu City due to typhoon “Sendong.”  (With reports from RVO)