Cherished and beloved family members, relatives, town mates, friends, allies and the masses whom Joseph “Ka Asyong” Capulas from Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur; Rolando “Ka Eugene“ Marvil from Candon City, Ilocos Sur; Edgar “Ka Nardo “ Joson from Candon City, Ilocos Sur; Marxes “Ka Jigs” ‘Samman’ Dazon from Tadian, Mountain Province; Pamela “Ka Maimai” Ocliaso Peralta from Baguio City — so earnestly served:

We join your grief as we all deeply mourn the unfortunate death of beloved Comrades Joseph, Rolando, Edgar, Marxes, and Pamela in the bloodied hands of the fascist enemy. With you, our tears of love and sorrow poured out with the martyrdom of the five NPA leaders and Red fighters of the revolutionary movement. We also grieve sincerely with the family of the farmer who was killed by bullets from the attacking reactionary armed forces. And like you, we are outraged by their inhuman and brutal murder, carried out by the reactionary armed forces of tyrant Duterte who has signed the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (ATA of 2020, RA 11479) with their fascist aim to totally trample down the democratic and civil rights of the Filipino people amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic miseries, especially of the millions of suffering workers and peasants. The pandemic, the entire health situation and the present economic crises (inflation, lack of food, unemployment, poverty) are entirely neglected by psychopathic Duterte who makes use of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to conceal his nationwide de facto martial law; while he keeps on nailing the Filipino people to foreign debts, and the people’s coffers are being stolen by his bureaucrat capitalist minions, and by his fascist military and police commanders.

Ka Asyong, Ka Eugene, Ka Nardo, Ka Jigs and Ka Maimai died heroic deaths amidst the focused and sustained enemy attack on the Ilocos Sur guerilla front since 2018. While their unit of only 7 Red Fighters was performing their revolutionary tasks of helping the masses in addressing and managing the COVID-19 pandemic, they were treacherously and mercilessly raided and attacked by criminal forces of the 81st Infantry Battalion under Major Rogelio Dumbrique in the afternoon of August 8, 2020 in Brgy. Suagayan, Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur. The firefight was more than 3 hours. Ka Maimai was captured by the fascist army alive but was shot to death when she refused to give any information to the enemy, a clear violation of the articles of war and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). One farmer died and two others were wounded due to indiscriminate volumes of gunfire from the fascist army, another clear violation of the articles of war and the CARHRIHL. The Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the Regional Operational Command, the Chadli Molintas Command (CMC) of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the Ilocos-Cordillera Region (ICR) vehemently condemn Lieutenant General Ramiro Manuel Rey of the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) in ordering the 702nd IBde to intensify focused combat operations in the various towns of Ilocos Sur in the guise of helping the people as regards the COVID-19 pandemic. The focused military operations resulted to the evacuation of peasant families, crammed together in the barangay plaza at Brgy. Parioc of Candon City, Ilocos Sur. Ninety farmer families from their homes at Brgy. Suagayan, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur were also evacuated forcibly by the fascist army.

The Regional Committee of the CPP and the Regional Operational Command, the CMC of the NPA here in the ICR give our highest salutations to the five comrades who offered their lives for the masses they so loved and cherished. Even though they were just a unit of 7 Red fighters, they fought gallantly the 81 st IB forces with six or more casualties (1 KIA and 5 or more WIA). We salute them for their unwavering commitment and wholehearted devotion to the cause of the people’s armed revolution, which they have fully proven up to their last breath. They have dedicated the prime years of their lives to the Filipino people’s revolutionary struggle against imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism. They have opted to serve the downtrodden and deprived, the oppressed and exploited masses.

In their years of selfless service to the people, they have displayed courage, humility, strong leadership, diligence in work and revolutionary optimism. They are models of steadfast perseverance in the face of trials and sacrifices and of overcoming difficulties and limitations so as to continue contributing for the advance of the revolutionary mass movement to finally liberate the toiling masses and the country from the bonds of exploitation and oppression.

Their high sense of sacrifice and patriotism are inspirations for the masses to go on in the struggle for genuine freedom and democracy. In their youth, they willingly left behind lives of comfort to serve the people and the Philippine revolution. They chose to live with the peasant masses in the countryside and to use their capabilities in arousing, organizing and mobilizing the toiling masses change their dire situation. They spent the best years of their lives working and struggling with the peasants of the Ilocos and other ICR provinces, whom they never left even under the most brutal and incessant fascist attacks
by the reactionary state’s military apparatus. These struggles have resulted in concrete political and economic gains and benefits that have improved the welfare of the peasants. Thus, their commitment and devotion to the interests of the common people has earned the admiration, respect and love of the peasants.

Indeed, the deaths of Ka Asyong, Ka Eugene, Ka Nardo, Ka Jigs and Ka Maimai are extremely painful for us. But as ever, we have learned to turn our grief into revolutionary courage. Their memories and ideals shall always live forever. They are revolutionary heroes and martyrs worthy of our emulation. Their shining example of undying love for the masses, arduous struggle, courage in battle, and selfless sacrifice shall continue to flourish among hundreds of thousands of revolutionaries and serve as inspiration to all comrades and the masses.

We shall always remember them in every struggling peasant, in revolutionaries engaged in mass work, and in Red fighters and commanders advancing the people’s armed revolution. And the BEST REVOLUTIONARY TRIBUTE to remember and honor the five Ilocos heroes and other martyrs is to continue the revolution and join the NPA in order to raise to higher levels the armed struggle and the vigorous mass
movement for national liberation and people’s democracy. For it is only through the power of the masses and the strength of the armed revolution can the tyrant Duterte be toppled down.

Join the NPA and advance the armed struggle!
Broaden and strengthen the people’s resistance against tyranny! Oust the autocrat Duterte!
Long live the shining memory of the five Ilocos heroes!