New People’s Army members Fidel Lagado “Ka Rod/Ka Jason”, Maricel Anora “Ka Yenyen/Ka Gani” and Rogelio Berino “Ka Sonny/Ka Danny” were conducting mass work in Barangay Pange, Jaro, Leyte when they were mercilessly killed by fascist troops of the 93rd Infantry Battalion last November 17. They were unarmed and should have been taken as prisoners of war as stipulated by international humanitarian law.

Pange is one of hundreds of barangays in Leyte Island severely ravaged by typhoons Tino and Uwan. The peasant masses were left to fend for themselves after receiving no substantial help or compensation from the corrupt US-Marcos regime. The martyred Red fighters were the only ones who had come to their aid.

We vehemently condmen the extrajudicial killing of our beloved comrades. Brig. Gen. Pompeyo Jason Almagro, new commander of the Army brigade operating in Leyte Island, continues the notorious tradition of disregarding the protocols of war and planting evidence against their victims. He and his fascist ilk are crying wolf over the legitimate attack against their intelligence officer in 2023, even though this is explicitly permitted by the IHL. They pay lip service to human rights even as Ka Sonny himself was a victim of their incessant Red-tagging and threats, which left him no choice but to seek refuge in the NPA as a Red fighter.

We denounce the fascist military for besmirching the memory of our dear comrades. Ka Rod, Ka Yenyen, and Ka Sonny offered their lives for the liberation of the downtrodden masses. Them, and not the fascist soldiers ravaging the countryside with militarization and repression, are the ones dearly missed by the peasant masses, and for whom they will exact justice by carrying forward the people’s war.

Justice for Fidel Lagado, Maricel Anora, and Rogelio Berino! Long live all the martyrs of the Philippine revolution!

Carry forward the people’s war! Oust the fascist US-Marcos regime!