A trans woman, former broadcaster, and a known human rights advocate Ali Macalintal was gunned down by an unidentified gunman while inside an acupuncture clinic in General Santos in the early morning of June 23. According to reports, the assailant entered the clinic and opened fire, then quickly fled the scene aboard a motorcycle.
Macalintal was immediately brought to the nearest hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival, sustaining three gunshot wounds to her body.
She was the former broadcaster of RPN XDX and former deputy secretary general of Karapatan SOCCSKSARGEN, where she helped organize and participate in various fact-finding missions in Mindanao. In 2017, Macalintal also stood with the Moro and Lumads during the Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya, standing in solidarity against the rampant attacks and militarization in the Moro-Lumad community at the height of Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao.
According to Karapatan, Macalintal had previously been threatened via text message in February 2019. Before the incident, she was accosted by an unknown assailant whose face was covered with a bonnet and was on board a motorcycle without a plate.
Justice for Ali
Various LGBTQIA organizations, human rights groups, and former media colleagues expressed deep sorrow and grief over the sudden passing of Macalintal.
“She even sought to organize Bahaghari in Mindanao. She was never afraid to speak truth to power and expose uncomfortable truths,” said Bahaghari chairperson Reyna Valmores Salinas.
Salinas lamented Macalintal’s death as a loss of a powerful voice in advancing LGBTQIA+ rights in the country, highlighting that her bravery will not be forgotten by the community during Pride month.
Meanwhile, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines chairperson Jonathan De Santos also recalled working with Macalintal during a safety training in 2002 when she was still a broadcaster.
Although Macalintal was no longer working in the media at the time of her death, De Santos emphasized that this should not exclude the case from public attention.
“She was no longer working in media at the time of her death. That simply means her case won’t be recorded as a work-related attack, but it doesn’t mean that developments around it won’t be closely monitored,” De Santos said in a Facebook post.
The groups further urged the Marcos Jr administration and the General Santos City Police to conduct a swift and impartial investigation into the tragic death of Macalintal and to bring to justice the perpetrators of her gruesome killing.
