More than 100 people attended the tribute program for the August Heroes and Martyrs of Panay on August 26 in Iloilo, including friends, family and former comrades of the 11 fallen Red fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA)-Panay and Communist Party of the Philippines cadres in the region. They were martyred in a series of armed encounters last August in Iloilo and Antique.

The tribute day coincided with the 74th birthday of Ka Concha Araneta-Bocala, one of the martyrs. Ka Concha served as one of the top officials of the Party Regional Committee in Panay and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace negotiations consultant.

The Party Central Committee tribute to the Panay August Heroes and Martyrs was read in the program. It gave the highest tribute to Vicente Hinojales (Ka Hadjie/Ka Emil), Central Committee member and Regional Party Committee secretary in the island. He spearheaded the Panay region from 2016, after playing an important role in the comprehensive growth of revolutionary struggles in Northeast Mindanao from 2006 to 2016.