August 30, 2024 | Highest honors and tribute are given by the Panay Regional Party Committee to Vicente Hinojales (Ka Hadjie/Ka LG/Ka Jorge), Concha Araneta-Bocala (Ka Jojo/Ka Unding/Ka Minay/Ka Marta/Ka Ling/Ka Tonya), Rewilmar ‘Vivian’ Torrato (Ka Mia/Kikay/Minerva/Mara/Moray) and to the eight other August Martyrs and Heroes in Panay. They were Party cadres, Red commanders and fighters who bravely fought against the fascist Marcos regime to defend and advance the democratic interests of the exploited and oppressed Panayanon and the entire Filipino people towards the genuine freedom and democracy.

Ka Hadjie, Ka Minay and Ka Minerva together with Romulo Iturriaga Gangoso (Ka Reagan/Biboy/Pedik), Aurelio Bosque (Ka Zarco/Baijan/Rio), Jose Jerry Tacaisan (Ka Boy/Miller), Juvylene Silverio (Ka Porang/Inday/Kaykay), Benjamin Cortel (Ka Amor/Ruby/Mamang), Armando Sabares (Ka Nene/Kamlon), John Paul Capio (Ka Roling/Ronron), and Jielmor Gauranoc (Ka Doc/Tango/Baron), were killed in the series of alleged encounters against the forces of 12IB, 82IB, 61IB and PNP-RMFB last August 5, 7, 8, 15 in Calinog and Lambunao, Iloilo and last August 24 in Valderrama, Antique.

We give our special praise and tribute to Ka Hadjie, Ka Minay, and Ka Minerva. Ka Hadjie was a member of the Central Committee and served as the Secretary of the Panay Regional Party Committee since the latter part of 2016. He led the implementation of the Third Rectification Campaign and the 5-year Program of the Central Committee and untiringly imparted the advanced experiences of his region of origin in Mindanao. His unfamiliarity of Panay and the comrades did not hinder him to effectively perform his responsibility. He was an example of humility and steadfastness in the implementation of the decisions of the Regional Committee and of the higher organs of the Party. Ka Minay was the Second Deputy Secretary of the Regional Committee and was one the pioneers of the revolutionary movement in Panay since 1972. She led the Second Rectification Movement especially the drafting of the 13-year summing-up of the revolutionary movement in Panay from 1980 to 1993 and the struggle against the factionalism of the Tabara-Dumalaog clique. She was an example of boundless optimism and selfless devotion to the cause of the masses, the Party and the armed revolution. Despite her advanced age of 71 and the physical disability she suffered in 2021 when she almost got blind as a result of an eye stroke, she opted to remain in the countryside to continue leading the Party and the NPA. Ka Minerva was a member of the Executive Committee of Regional Committee and served as the secretary of the Front Party Committee in Central Panay and later in Southern Panay. She exhibited a boundless sense of responsibility, diligence, efficiency, and an unwavering determination in the face of hardships and sacrifices. Truly they were big losses to the Party leadership in Panay.

The Panay Regional Party Committee mourns with the families, all the Party cadres and members, Red commanders and fighters of the NPA, the allied organizations of the NDF and all the friends and supporters of the cause of the national democratic revolution on the loss of the 11 Martyrs and Heroes. The sadness that we felt in the death of the 11 Martyrs was heavier than Mt. Madyaas but our anger against the fascist Marcos Jr regime and his blood-thirsty brute military was even greater and heavier.

The Panay Regional Party Committee strongly condemns the 3rd Infantry Division and the 301st Brigade of the Philippine Army and the PNP Region 6 in the brutal death and violation of the human rights of the nine comrades, the Aglonok 5 (Ka Reagan, Ka Nene, Ka Zarco, Ka Kaykay and Ka Tanggo) and the Cabatangan 4 (Ka Hadjie, Ka Minay, Ka Minerva, Ka Miller) who were hors de combat during the 3rd ID’s alleged encounters last August 7, 8 and 15. They were starving for more than two weeks because of food shortage, were physically and mentally exhausted (tiredness and lack of sleep) due to several days of maneuver in the steep and rigid mountains, and majority of them were old and sickly (diabetic, hypertensive). Based on the preliminary investigation of the units of the NPA, the masses on the villages near the encounter site did not hear any exchange of gunfire. Some members of the families of the martyrs and some media personnel also reported that there were signs of torture and the wounds were numerous indicating “overkill”. The laws on the conduct of war based on the International Humanitarian Law and the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law states that the rights of the hors the combat or those who were incapacitated to fight should be guaranteed.

The 3rd Infantry Division, Philippine Army and the PNP-Region 6 have a long list of violations of Human rights—killing of the Tumandok kid Rodelyn Aguirre in 2012, Antique 7 massacre in 2018, Tumandok 9 massacre in 2020, killing of Rooosevelt, Tapaz Barangay Captain Julie Catamin in 2021, abduction and killing of Ka Blu and Ka Hope in 2022 and many more.

The 11 August Martyrs and Heroes of Panay were the recent mark of the hundreds of years of struggle of the Panayanons against the foreign and local oppression and repression dating back to the uprising against the colonial Spanish, the colonial wars of the Americans and Japanese up to the struggle against the fascist Marcos Jr regime and its predecessors.

The 11 Martyrs and Heroes who came from the four provinces of Panay and from Mindanao represent almost all classes and sectors of the Philippine society who were united on the principle of serving the people in the cause of the national democratic revolution through armed struggle. They stood on this principle and cause until their last breath. The cause and principles they have fought for must always remain fresh in our memories and we should enliven it in our daily practice. We should embrace and imbibe their characters of being strong against hardships and sacrifices, bravery in facing death, boundless optimism, tireless and selfless service to the people, and loyalty to the Party and the revolution. Through this we could implement the first step in giving justice to the death of the 11 Martyrs and Heroes and the thousands of others before them.

The Panay Regional Party Committee commands all units of the Party and the NPA in the island to hold tribute and memorial meetings for the 11 Martyrs and Heroes. We also call on the allied organizations of the NDF and other friends of the revolution to conduct similar activities. We encourage everyone to share other forms of tribute and reminiscence like statements in the PRWC, alternative media and mainstream media, poems, anecdotes and other cultural pieces. We will mark August 26 every year as the Day of the Martyrs and Heroes of Panay.

Above all, the Panay Regional Party Committee calls all those physically and mentally able especially those coming from the student-youth, workers and professional sectors to join the NPA. This is the time with utmost significance for you to contribute your talents and skills for the advance of the armed struggle as the primary and decisive form of the revolutionary struggle to ensure the victory of the national democratic revolution and socialism.

The statements of the commanders of the 3rd ID and 301st IBde of the Philippine Army that the death of the three top officials of the Panay Regional Party Committee is the mark of the end of the revolutionary movement in Panay were merely daydreams (purely illusions) and only shows their idiocy on the history and character of the revolution. The history of any society in the world has seen the birth and growth of revolutionary struggle of the people as long as the exploitation and oppression of the broad masses exist. History itself has also proven that for every fallen leader in the battlefield there are more that arise. In the case of the Communist Party of the Philippines, there is a system of a chain of leadership that whenever a position becomes vacant, another cadre immediately assumes the responsibility of the leadership.

The revolutionary forces in Panay will surely overcome whatever losses and setbacks they have faced these past years and will frustrate the illusions of the 3rd Infantry Division to end the revolutionary movement in Panay by the end of September and the year 2024. Through the guidance of the Party and the Rectification Movement that is currently implemented, the internal mistakes and shortcomings that were the roots of the losses and setbacks will be identified and thus will become guide to rise and advance again. The remaining cadres and members of the Party and the Red commanders and fighters of the NPA vow they will continue igniting the flame of the armed revolution until its victory.

Always remember the 11 August Martyrs and Heroes of Panay!
Long live the New People’s Army!
Long live the National Democratic Front of the Philippines!
Long live the Communist Party of the Philippines!
Long live the Filipino people!