Human rights group Karapatan condemned the killing of Romeo Capalla, a fair trade activist and younger brother of Davao Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla.

Romeo was shot early evening of March 15 in Oton Public Market, Iloilo by an unidentified gunman. He was rushed to Western Visayas Medical Center but was declared dead on arrival.

Karapatan suspects that state security forces are behind the killing. The group said that Romeo was arrested on August 3, 2005 on charges of arson, together with Fernando Baldomero who was also murdered on 2010.

The two were detained but were released a month later.

“Capalla was released and all charges against him were dismissed,” said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan. Palabay said that Romeo was constantly tagged by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police as a commander of the rebel New People’s Army (NPA).

“This is a practice being continued by the Aquino administration through its counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan,” said Palabay. According to Karapatan, Romeo is the 11th victim of extrajudicial killing in 2014.

From July 2010 to December 2013, the group has documented 169 victims of extrajudicial killing.

Romeo worked for Panay Fair Trade Center since 1994, and was a member of Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda), together with Fernando Baldomero, who was the first victim of extrajudicial killing under President Aquino’s term.