The brutal, treacherous and cold blooded multiple murder of the ailing and aged Julius “Ka Nars/Ka Pisyong” Soriano Giron, his attending physician Dr. Maria Lourdes Tangco and his aide Arvie Alarcon Reyes by state security forces of the US-Duterte regime at the wee hours of March 13 in Baguio City has indeed shocked and infuriated us.

Notwithstanding, we pay our belated highest revolutionary respect and red salute to our fallen martyrs and heroes.

We take cognizance of his priceless endeavor as one of the leading revolutionary pioneers in sowing, spreading and nurturing the national democratic revolution in Northern Luzon particularly in the Cordillera region. Since the dark days of the US-Marcos dictatorial rule, he unwaveringly fought with us in our life and death struggle for our right to self-determination. We credit him of the following valuable and exemplary contributions among others, to wit:

One, he pioneered in establishing the first guerrilla front in Ifugao at the onset of the 1970’s with a platoon size NPA unit armed with few high powered firearms supplemented by borrowed firearms from the masses. Although this incipient NPA unit was composed of mostly fresh recruits from the urban students and workers, they learned warfare through warfare. It was able to survive the ‘nip in the bud’ stratagem of the Marcos Dictatorship that brutally unleashed battalion to brigade size operations. In due course, several guerrilla fronts were set up one after the other in the different strategic and favorable boundary areas of the Montañosa. The massive entry of big destructive and extractive mining companies, logging companies, energy projects and tourism directed infrastructure projects that plundered and land grabbed our ancestral lands were altogether repulsed by the formidable armed and unarmed mass mobilizations, indicative of heroic Cordillera people’s unity. The murder of our Igorot leaders, massive militarization and the resultant human rights violations failed to quell our fight. Amidst these struggles sprang our revolutionary mass organizations, Party branches, our local organs of political power, and units of people’s militia, the forging of the Cordillera revolutionary alliance in Cordillera People’s Democratic Front (CPDF) and hordes of NPA recruits.

Two, he spearheaded the painstaking and massive social investigation and class analysis of the Cordillera tribal communities. He conducted Marxist-Leninist-Maoist theoretical studies on the nationality question to sharply define the particular political line to address national oppression burdening national minorities for ages. This eventually paved the way for the formation of the Cordillera People’s Democratic Front (CPDF), formulation of its program, Constitution and By-Laws and other pertinent documents that are now used as guides for advancing the revolutionary work in the region.

Three, he was keenly cognizant of the special role of elders in advancing the national minority movement especially in asserting the right to the ancestral lands. Revolutionary organizing of tribal elders was given emphasis along with the other basic sectors. This boosted the rapid development and formations of the Cordillera People’s Democratic Front chapters at different levels and scope. The campaign for tribal unities, anti-tribal wars and promotion and forging of peace pacts among tribes to multi-lateral peace pacts were forthwith pursued. This has effectively frustrated attempts of the late Marcos minions and their mercenary security forces to sow intrigues and disunity among the tribal communities. Otherwise, the entry of gigantic destructive and plunderous projects like the Chico River Hydro-electric projects and the Cellophil Resources Corporation would have been easy.

Fourth, his leading role in the correct and steadfast handling of the traitor Conrado Balweg’s Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) – CIA instigated split from the New People’s Army in the Cordillera. He correctly defined the case as struggle between two lines and right away drew the dividing line between revolutions and counter revolution. This eventually led to the total repudiation of the indigenist CPLA its ganglet leaders as counter-revolutionaries. As history has proven, the CPLA capitulated to the reactionary government from the time of US-Cory Aquino regime.

Fifth, his role in spearheading the formulation and refinement of the appropriate and practical program of the agrarian reform program in the Cordillera and other related matters.

As we proudly wave high our CPDF flag in the air, we remember Ka Nars, the revolutionary hero, the artist who personally designed the CPDF logo.
Comrade Julius may no longer be with us but his legacy will forever live and shine in the hearts and minds of all revolutionaries and masses in the Cordillera. His memory shall be a beacon for all truly committed revolutionaries and upcoming revolutionaries to carry on the arduous struggle till final victory.

Long live the memory of Comrade Julius and all other martyrs!
The US-Duterte regime shall pay for all its brutalities and murders!