Kabataang Makabayan (KM)...

M E M O R I E S: Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, hia  Glimpses on History &

                          The People’s Struggle for Freedom

Chapter 21– Kabataang Makabayan (KM), Organized & Started  the Struggle for National Democracy in Iloilo and Panay

The Kabataang Makabayan (KM), the student movement that rocked Iloilo and Panay  in 1972  until 1987,   started  in 1969 with some 12 atudents  from a  college and a  universities of Iloilo City.  The   liberation  ferment    started softly with  flickering  embers,  grew  steadily  with  flares  and flames  that  touched and moved the poor people to Panay  to participate in the revolutionary struggle..

Alberto Espinas was  the missionary   of this  liberation movement in  Iloilo City. He came from  Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila, a product of what was known, the First Quarter Storms of Philippine Revolutions. With  8 of  his friends, they   organized the Iloilo chapter of Kabataang Makabayan.   Bert Espinas  came  to Iloilo as Joven Defensor. That was his new name.  His nom-de- guerre.

Bert Espinas recruited  Fluelyn  Ortigas and Rolly Lorca  for  KM -Iloilo.    Flu Ortigas, on the other hand, recruited his younger brother Virgil Ortigas and  Vic Beloria.  Rolly Lorca  recruited Francis Monfort, Eddie Carilimdiliman and VSC.  They continued their Discussion Groups (DG) and made studies on   the arts and technics in   organizing and mobilizations of students.  They studied histories. They studied the revolutionary movements in the country and other parts of the world.  They studied the lives of revolutionaries.  They studied  the  ideas of Mao Zedong,  from a small booklet knowin known as Mao Zedong Thoughts.

They organized the first Kabataang Makabayan (KM) chapter in Iloilo.  The  organizational meeting was held at the home  of Flu Ortigas, at the front of  CPU.  Flu Ortigas presided the organizational meeting. Flu’s parents, Rev. Restituto Ortigas and Mrs. Felisberta Ortigas, were Baptist Minister of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churcches.

Elected  first KM officers were  Alberto Espinas, President; Josil Jaen, Vice President; Virgil Ortigas,  Chairman Education.  

Members were Fluelyn Ortigas, Rolly Lorca, Francis Monfort, Eddie Carilimdiliman,  Vic Beloria.

Soon, other members came - Norman Cabangal,  Romie Deprado, Boy Estandarte, Pablito Araneta, Tomas  Dominado, Alex Gonzales, Fabie Fernandez, Elmer Unsay, Gregorio Castigador, Ferdie Arceo and  Jim Geduspan.

There were 4 ladies who were members of CPU KM chapter,  shortly after the organizational meeting. Three of the  lady KM members were from   Davao City and 1 from Iloilo. We’re trying to recall their names.

The first KM members     guided  Kabataang Makabayan, as it organized chapters in Central Philippine Unversity, University of San Agustin, University of the Philippines –Iloilo, Iloilo City Colleges, Visayan Central Colleges and other colleges, including  girls exclusive schools.

After they have organized the chapters in Iloilo City, they moved forward and organized KM chapters in   colleges, high schools and communities in towns  in Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique and Guimaras.

Earlier, KM chapters were organized in  universities, colleges and communities if Bacolod City.  And softly, it reached out to colleges and high schools  and communiteis in the towns   of Negros Occidental.

In 1972, before President Marcos declared Martial Law, KM and its allied associations has organized chapters  in nearly 25% of the barangays in Panay.

When President Marcos was overthrown in 1986, KM, SDK, CPP and NDFP with their allied associations has chapters  in some 60% barangays  in Iloilo and Panay.

When martial law was declared, the first who were arrested in Iloilo and Panay were  KM and SDK members, student activists, militant farmers and workers,  some pastors and urban poors.  Commander Walingwaling, the veteran of the HUKs and People’s Liberation Army  of the 50’ and 60’s was arrested. The Pastor of Katipunan Baptist Church in Katipanan, Tapaz, Rev. Dianala, at 70 years old,  was also arrested. They were detained for months at the military stockade of Camp Delgado in Iloilo City.

A big  military Stockade was built in several rooms at Camp  Delgado for those who were  detained.

 KM was   declared an illegal organizations.  From their groups,  cadres of the  Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and  the New People’s Army (NPA) were organized. They were the vanguards for the revolutionary movement in Iloilo  and Panay.They resisted the martial law regimes. They stood and fought with the  people of Panay in the hard struggle for the liberation of the poor and struggling  masses.

The revolutionary spirit   instilled deep on  KM members hearts, steeled  them to  resist  martial rule  for decades, until President Marcos was toppled from power and exciled to Hawaii.

During the first ^t three months  after the declaration of martial law, 10  KM members and activist were killed. They were the first victim’s for President Marcos martial rule. Killed  by military operatives in Bingawan, Iloilo, few months after martial law was declared were Alex Gonzales, UP-Los Banos, Fabie Fernandez, Central Philippine University,  Elmer Unsay, Univesity of San Agustin, and student Gregorio Castigador.

Few months after the Bingawan incident, student activists and KM members were killed by military operatives in Antique. They were Virgil Ortigas, CPU, Eddie Legislador, USA, Alberto Espinas, Lyceum of the Philippines,  Vicente Biloria, CPU and  Jim Geduspan.

Many KM members died fighting  for the liberation of the masses. A big number of them were   imprisoned   by the  martial law regimes and succeeding regimes. Others, in their  old age, continue to  different battle fronts.   And those who have gift for singing struggle songs,  again sung their songs while in the hills. In the old age today, they sung their today,  whenever there were opportunities to sing  these again.

Other KM members joined    labor and farmers unions. Some joined  professional groups– physicians, lawyers, nurses, professors, engineers and other professionals. Some  joined poltical parties.  Some  priests, pastors and  nuns served in the  united fronts.

They  participated in the hard and long  struggle.  They were   mostly  unknown.  And they remained unknown until today. But   soon, their lives and  struggles will be written. They will write it themselves.  They  will tell the stories of their lives and their struggles. They  will tell the stories of their failures and successes.  They will share the pains and laughters of  their  past.   They will tell us their defeats and victories, their loses and  gains. They will share  their faith,  hopes and dreams  to  the young  and coming generations. They will tell the simple stories of their lives, and like the living  stories of the Bible, it will live for years and years,  if  not forever.    

In 1971, to help  the  workers’ education works, PANELFU opened “People to Peoples Program”  at Station  DYRI.  I was assigned  Anchorman and   news commentator. By that time, PANELFU has some 350 village chapters in Panay. We  reached  out to them through “People to People;s Program”. We were heard daily, 7 days a week at 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM.

And  many years later,  in the  90’s,  I started a religious radio program, a  social, economic,  political and Biblical reflections, a radio ministry that lasted for 24 years until 2006,  at DYFM and DYRI in Iloilo City.

I spoke once a week reaching out to the people. We also reached out on the Air, some  NPA and CPP in the hills. We shared the  simple  messages of God’s Love,  that saves, redeem and liberates us from the forces that enslaved and buried the poor in poverty.  And some listened to our message.   For Jesus Christ’s  social, economic, political and revolutionary perspectives was similar, in not  the same,  with the communists in different lands.  Jesus fought and condemned  the oligarchs of his time. He condemned the elites of his  generations. But he was a friend of all  the poor and  struggling masses..

Last week,  April 22, 2017, I met Caster, a former NPA commander.  He is a farmer. He fought for years  when martial law was declared. There were times, when he and his group were building guerrilla zones in the mountain boundaries  of Iloilo Capiz, Aklan and Antique. It was a lonely place to live. But it was also  dangerous, for often  military operations were in nearby areas. .

 They were building their camp with   small huts,  these were their  sanctuary against  the rains and coldness of the nights.  For a short moment, he shared his life in the hinterlands.  “It was hard. It was  lonely. It was always dark. We could see only little lights at noon, when   noontime  lights  penetrate heavy leaves and foliage of “lunok” trees that covered  the skies.” He said, he continued with his group fighting the cause  of the liberation.

He  said me,  he remembered  me. Rather, he knew me.  For he  always listened    at  “Hour of Discovery”, our  radio ministry.  For “Hour of Discovery” was  designed  to  study  biblical, social, historical and political realities of our time.  It was a radio program that  spoke softly and clearly the   evils of  the elites, and  super  rich,  that owned  and controlled  for themselves, the lands that God has intended for all people to use for their living.   Feudalism  and  oligarchy  were evels   that buried the masses of our people in  deep poverty and  hopeless lives.

 The  KM movement was a phenomenon in the  history of students organizations.  I think, one of the reasons was the  inspiration  and guidance given by the great  revolutionary in Asia, Chairman  Mao Zedong. The power of his thoughts touching  the minds and hearts of the youth.

The small booklet, with quotes from the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party   become a powerful force in the re-education of the youths in the late 1960’s to 1972’s.  It has transformed KM members to  cadres and missionaries  for social transformation,  exposing and fighting the three evils of Philippine society. The  small booklet was known “Mao Zedong Thoughts.”

While working with PANELFU in 1971,  Bert Espinas and Josil Jaen and some KM  members  visited, stayed and discussed relations with   Coronacion Chiva (Commander Walingwaling)  and her husband  Federico Togonon (Commander Guevara), in  Alibunan, Calinog.   Coronacion Chiva was Chairperson of  PANELFU in Calinog.  And Federico.  Togonon  was Chairman of  PANELFU in Central Panay. The two, has very strong influences with the fighters of HUKs and  the People’s Liberation Army in the 50’s and 60’s.

That meeting and the decision made was very important and strategic.  It  unified  the forces of the old revolutionary fighteers  of the  HUKS & HMB  with  youth of    Kabataang Makabayan.   This two forces, helped greatly in  strengthening the  CPP, NPA and NDF in Panay

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Last  February 11, 2017, several KM members attended  the ”10  Reunion of FQS Hidlawanay –WV “  in Iloilo City. There I met nearly a hundred Kabataan Makabayan   veterans. Most of them were  now old.  They were retired. They were veterans of the struggles.  There knees were  weak. Many have myopic visions.  But their hearts were  still  aflame. There  hopes  and dreams for a liberated country  remained strong in there hearts.   

The KM of West Visayas, veterans of the 1^st Quarters Storms   came all the way from different parts of the country. Some came from the   USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East.  Most of them have been imprisoned for years, fighting for their beliefs and  dreams. Some called for the  continuation of the Peace Talks  now going on in Neitherland. Some  calls for the continuation of the People’s War until victory is finally won.   

In 1986, when President Marcos was thrown out of power and exciled to Hawaii by the US, The painful record  of Marcos martial law victims and atrocities  in the Philippines were recorded for posterity to remember.     

            3,257  were killed.  (400 of these were from Panay).

            35,000  tortured.

           70,000   imprisoned.

The revolutionary movement has become a powerful force that now challenged the government of the Philippines.

The National Democratic Front, in its peak in the mid-1980’s  “commanded 35,000 Party members, 60 guerilla fronts, two battalions and 37 company formations and foisted ideological and organizational hegemony in the progressive politics during the Marcos dictatorship.” It was said, that this time, the  Democratic Front has chapters  in some 60%  of barangays/villages in Panay.

In Iloilo City, the NPA partisans were operating in different villages. In the outskirt  of Iloilo City -- in the towns  of  Leganes, Pavia, San Miguel. Zarraga and Sta. Barbara, the the NPA and the partisants were strengthening the organizations. The same were happening in Capz, Aklan and Antique. The possible  victory can be seen at a distance, as the revolutionary movement moved  on to a possible  stalemate.

But soon a crack developed in the once united movement.  The national democratic movement had devided – re-affirmists that support Joma Sisons positions and the  rejectionists block that was opposing Sison’s position. This devided the movement. But  it moved on, even it was quite broken and splintered in several pieces.