2nd Supporter of Aquino Slain : Worker Shot to Death; Killing Called ‘Political’

A supporter of opposition presidential candidate Corazon Aquino was shot and killed in a rice field in the northern province of Ilocos Sur early today in the second slaying of an Aquino worker this week, her campaign headquarters said.

A statement released in Manila said Antonio Nolasco, a local barrio official in the town of Narvacan, 200 miles north of Manila, was shot to death by the son of a policeman around midnight.

There was no independent confirmation of the report, but Aquino headquarters charged the murder, the second of an Aquino worker this week, was “definitely politically motivated.”

Aquino’s godson and campaign coordinator in the municipality of Capas was slain Wednesday in a bloody roadside ambush 60 miles north of Manila.

Cheered by 300,000

Aquino today visited Davao, 620 miles south of Manila, where she drew an estimated 300,000 enthusiastic backers for the largest crowd yet of her campaign.

The crowd lined a motorcade route screaming “Cory, Cory!” and waving placards proclaiming “We love you.”

“We want to send a message to Marcos,” said one businessman in the crowd, “a thunderous message that will make him tremble and make him aware that the people have had enough of him.”

At one point, a thump was heard and someone in the crowd shouted “Grenade! Grenade!” sending campaign aides scrambling to protect Aquino. However, there was no explosion and the cause of the alarm was not made clear.