The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) extends its sympathies to the family and friends of Ericson Acosta and its solidarity with the memorial meeting to be conducted today in UP Diliman, Quezon City.

The entire leadership and membership of the Party give the highest tribute to Ka Ericson Acosta, communist cadre, Red fighter, teacher, student, playwright and poet. We pay tribute to Ka Ericson’s selfless service to the cause of the oppressed and exploited masses. Over the past decades, he performed his duties well and with full dedication. We raise the red banners of the Party and the New People’s Army as we pay homage to Ka Ericson and to all the heroes of the Filipino people.

For many years, Ka Ericson played an important role in education and cultural work. He went around different places in the country to do research, study the situation of the masses, expose the roots of poverty of the peasants and workers, study and promote Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, and rouse the people to get organized and to defend their rights and struggle for national freedom.

Ka Ericson was also an important revolutionary leader in Negros. He helped rouse the people and their national democratic forces to resist the state terrorist onslaught, by waging widespread armed resistance to defend the people, especially the masses of peasants, workers, sakadas and minority people of Negros, and to carry forward their fight for land and higher wages and other just and urgent demands.

Ka Ericson’s poems, stories and plays are an invaluable contribution to the living body of art, literature and culture that has emerged in the course of the people’s revolutionary struggles. The messages of resistance and liberation inscribed in his work are now forever imprinted on the consciousness of the broad masses to whom he dedicated his craft.

Serving as consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Comrade Ericson was doing research on the situation of the peasant masses in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. On the early hours of November 30, fascist soldiers belonging to the 94th and 47th Infantry Battalion barged into the home they were resting in and took Comrade Ericson and local peasant leader Joseph Jimenez. Instead of respecting their rights, they were summarily killed.

The willful killing of Acosta and Jimenez are in brazen contempt of international humanitarian law and all imaginable laws of civilized society. It was an act of pure fascist evil meant to punish them for waging a struggle for land, and to intimidate the peasants, especially in Negros.

The broad masses and people of Negros will, however, not be cowed. By killing Ka Ericson and Ka Joseph, the fascists have only succeeded in further enraging the people of Negros and steeling their determination to carry forward their fight.

The Party and all revolutionary forces join the broad range of individuals and organizations of peasants, workers, artists, academics and others in demanding justice for Ka Ericson and Ka Joseph, as well as all other victims of willful killing under the war of state terrorism. The New People’s Army, the genuine army of the people, will exert all effort to punish the perpetrators of this hideous crime.

In behalf of the broad masses of workers, peasants and all oppressed and exploited classes and sectors, the Communist Party of the Philippines declares Ka Ericson and Ka Joseph heroes of the Filipino people. Every year as we celebrate the birth of the great Andres Bonifacio, let us remember how two more heroes emerged in the crucible of struggle.

Their revolutionary spirit and those of all other heroes and martyrs are immortal. They will serve as eternal inspiration as we carry forward the people’s democratic revolution to greater victories.