CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 11 October) – A former legal officer of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Northern Mindanao who had exposed alleged irregularities involving irrigation projects was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen on board a motorcycle in Barangay Patag in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday.
Police identified the victim as Niruh Kyle Antatico, 40.
Antatico had reportedly helped local farmers raise complaints over alleged substandard and incomplete irrigation projects under NIA. Some of these complaints were said to have reached the agency’s central office for review.
In a statement issued Saturday, NIA Northern Mindanao said it is aware of the allegations and expressed condolences to Antatico’s family.
It said the agency’s top management has initiated a review and verification process “in collaboration with relevant offices and appropriate authorities.”
The statement also urged the public to avoid speculations while investigations are ongoing.
Several individuals close to Antatico described his death as a blow to efforts for accountability within government institutions. His fraternity brother, lawyer Bagani Llesis, wrote that Antatico “received threats when he exposed anomalies in his workplace, yet he did not remain silent.”
His sister, Misty Antatico, paid tribute to him through a moving post online. “I wish you were less stubborn with your ideals. I wish you had a weaker sense of justice. But no—you were always so big on making things right. Always so quick to defend those who were taken advantage of. And now you’re gone,”she wrote.
She said her brother’s courage came at a cost. “To them you’re just another target eliminated. Another data. Another part of the statistics. But to us, you will never be just that,” she said.
Antatico, she wrote, was a “responsible eldest son, a loyal friend, a supportive husband, and the best dad to his children.” She promised to look after his kids and continue seeking justice.
“Many people half-joke about how it’s scary to speak up in Mindanao because people really die once they do,” she added. “This is as real as it gets. You are a solid testament to that, and I just wish you weren’t.”
Police investigators have yet to determine the motive behind the attack. Authorities said they are gathering CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts to identify the suspects. (Henniequel Shayne Acobo/MindaNews)
