Joins PANELFU, a Labor Union in Iloilo, Fighting for Equality, Justice and Land Reforms

M E M O R I E S:

Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal & His Glimpses on History

 Chapter  24 – Joins PANELFU, a Labor Union in Iloilo,  Fighting for Equality, Justice and Land Reforms

In November 1970,  I stopped from my studies at the College of Theology again. I joined a  labor organization  in Iloilo.  the  Philippine Association of Nationalists Employees, Laborers  and Farmers Union (PANELFU),  with office  in Iloilo City. Atty.  Nicolas Centeno, was legal counsel for peasants.  Atty. Cesar Beloria, Vice President of the union,  was legal counsel for labor. Mrs.  Dolly Centeno Javellana  was president.   She  finished her law studies at  Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila.  It was at Lyceum that I met her.  Mr. Gasambelo was the General Secretary.

 I was appointed   chairman of the Education Committee. Assisting  me was  Frank  Carilimdiliman, a graduate of Visayas Central College (VCC). Together, we traversed most villages in Iloilo, the coastal and hinterland villages, doing   legal education   and land reforms seminars. We reached out also  to some villages where  PANELFU  members  in other towns in Capiz, Aklan and Antique.

During  President Diosdado Macapagal’s presidency in 1961-1965,  Congress has passed a    Land Reform  Law.    Land Reform laws  were  passed  during  the leadership  of  Presidents Manuel Roxas,  Elpidio Querino, Ramon Magsaysay and Carlos Garcia. But these   land reform laws were emasculated laws,  passed by the  landowners dominated Congress. It has so many loop holes, that genuine land reforms  can  hardly   be implemented.

Atty. Nicolas Centeno and Atty.Cesar  Beloria knew that genuine land reforms cannot be implemented  under  an emasculated  land reform laws in the country, even the latest Land Reform Law passed by   President Macapagal.    But the people must be educated, trained, organized and mobilized   to work and  implement  land reforms under a very  limited legal opportunities  offered under President Macapagal’s  presidency.

PANELFU was organized and has chapters in some 350   barangays in Panay--  in Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique and Guimaras  in  our time.  Many  PANELFU  village chapters were organized in   the municipalities of    Pavia, Ilolilo City, San Miguel, Leon, Oton, San Joaquin, San Miguel,  Miagao, Leganes, Zarraga;

 Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, New Lucena, Bingawan, San Enrique, Dumangas, Lambunao, Calinog, Duenas, Dingle, Barotac Viejo, Sara, San Dionesio, Batad, Concepcion, Lemery  Banate, Ajuy, Passi and Balasan.  It  has also  village  chapters in   municipalities in the provinces  of Antique, Aklan,  Capiz and Guimaras Island.  Our   tasks  were to help in educating and training  members in  their  tasks and responsibilities.  We helped  mobilized them to recruit more members and organized new   chapters in municipalities. The main task was to help implement Land Reforms under limited opportunities of the time.

 It was a hard and challenging task. It gave us the opportunity to reached and assist  the broad masses of our people –the poor, weak and deprived masses. It was a work, a kind of  Christian  ministry, which I thought  more needed. Under the situations, it was more needed than  finishing the  2^nd  instalment  of  my studies in the College of Theology.

 Atty.Nicolas Centeno  in the 50’s was  one of the  Legal Counsels  of Federacion Obreros de Filipinas (FOF), a nationalist  labor  union based  in Iloilo City.  I heard, it was  the strongest   labor union  in Visayas and Mindanao.  The President and Chief Executive Officer  was  Jose Maria Nava, a  man with socialist  orientations. He was a  militant labor  leader and  highly respected   in the country.  

Mr. Jose Ma. Nava was one of the Philippine delegates to the International Labor Unions conference  held in Shanghai, in the early part of 1950’s. Delagates of this  conference were mostly Marxist from labor organizations from different parts of the world.

In  the  1950’s, during the war between the government and the Partido Komunista nga Pilipinas (PKP),  I heard that  FOF, under  the leadership of  Jose Ma. Nava and Atty. Nicolas Centeno, sent   two Squadrons of fighters from  Iloilo City and Dumangas, to join the    forces of   Guillermo Capadocia, a member of the  PKP Political Bureau and  fought for the liberation of   Panay against the military and the government. This story, shared during  that time, I was not able to verify. 

But Jose Ma. Nava and Atty. Nicolas Centeno, were arrested and charged in court  for rebellion. They were  convicted and  imprisoned in  Muntinglupa  for about   10  years. Together with them in prison were  Andres  Togonon, (Commander  Guevara)  and his wife, Coronacion Chiva (Commander Waling-Waling). The two  were officers of the revolutionary  army headed by  Guillermo Capadocia, of Partido Komunista ng  Pilipinas  in Panay.

 With them in Muntinglupa  prison,  were revolutionary leaders and fighters  in Manila, Central Luzon, Northern Luzon,  and other parts of the country, who were  arrested and imprisoned,  when President  Manuel Roxas, after the defeat of the Japanese,  declared the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) an  illegal organization, and ordered the PKP & Hukbalahap members arrested.

This was   unfortunate decision,  because  during the Japanese -American war, in 1941 -1945, the Filipino  communists mobilized their forces and fought with the Filipino and American soldiers of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFEE), against the Japanese.  Many Filipino communists died, fighting with the Filipino-American soldiers  against  the Japanese Imperial Forces.

 When President Roxas declared the communists illegal organization, some were killed. Others  were arrested and imprisoned.  But  many  went underground.  They  re-organized their forces, this time to   fight the government and the military.  I heard,  President Roxas made that  decision  on order of  Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who wants to eliminate communism in the Philippines. But he  failed. The communists insurgency continued until today, in 2017. One of the major reasons is  poverty, inequality and injustices committed by the elites and  oligarchs, who control the country’s businesses and war machines.

 After their released from prison, the couple, Andres Togonon and Coronoacion Chiva,   went home to Calinog and worked  on  their small farm in Alibunan village,  at the foot of the mountains. They planted  rice,   corn  and coffee  and started a peaceful life.  They worked  and helped  organized PANELFU’s  village chapters  in Alibunan.  Andres  Togonon  was elected President of PANELFU,s  municipal chapters in Calinog. Later, he was elected  Chairman of PANELFU  in Central Panay.

Mr. Jose Ma. Nava, after his released from prison, went back to Iloilo City to rest and recuperate.  It seemed, he did not go back to the trade union after his  released from prison.

 Atty. Nicolas Centeno, after his  released  from Muntinlupa,   went back to Iloilo City and practiced law again. He saw opportunities thru legal struggles, organing peasants for justice and  Land Reforms. He will pushed the cause of farmers thru legal battles in Iloilo Provincial and City courts.   They  organized a labor union,  and started seminars in Iloilo and other provinces in Panay. Every Saturdays and Sundays, they  go to the villages  for labor education seminars and  organzing works.    

 Atty. Centeno and Mrs. Dolly Centeno Javillana  were   in courts, fighting the cause of the farmers, land reforms. Atty. Cesar Belloria was fighting the  legal battles of  workers and laborers in industries in Western Visayas in the city  courts at the    provincial courts.

On  weekdays, from Monday to Friday, Frank Carilimdiliman and me, made follow-up seminars and educational trainings for  PANELFU members  in villages and municipalities  that were organized

After organizing   10  village chapters in the municipality, we organized the municipal chapters, headed by the most potential, courageous and experienced  labor union  leaders from the communities.  This group mobilized themselves to expand political education and labor educations  in the municipalities  in  Iloilo and Panay.

 It was during this years,  from 1968 to early  1972, that farmers during PANELFU’s  anniversaries mobilized  rallies in Iloilo City with several thousand farmers and farm laborers  from Panay  in a parade  waving flags  – red, blue and white flags - as they  marched from Jaro Plaza to Plaza Libertad. This were peaceful and militant rallies calling for equality, justice, freedom and  land reforms. The  farmers and farm workers, chained deep in poverty and  life of  hopelessness, under the government controlled by the rich, elites and oligarchs that dominated politics in local and national leadership of the country.  

Since farmers were busy working during the day, we  often have our seminars in the evenings – from 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM.  They have more time for studies in the evenings.  But there were times, when our seminars were also held during the day. One time, we held a   labor  education seminars in  a village in Barotac Nuevo. The following day, I was also scheduled to lead   another seminar in another village. Before leaving for the next day seminar, the President of  local PANELFU told me that her daughter will accompany me to the seminar venue.

The village  was  quite far, and the way  were   planted heavily with sugar canes.  We will pass a small way, with sugar cane plantations on both side. It was a lonely road to go. I heard the wife told her husband in the  other room. “It is not  good to allow our daughter to go with Rudy alone.”.  Her daughter is young and lovely.  A college student but stopped due to lack money for tuition.   

 But I heard her husband, a former fighter of the HUKs and  a rebel. He said it clearly.

 “We can trust Rudy. He is a member of our group. He has principles. We can trust him our daughter.”  I knew the man was  a principled man.  He loved   his wife.  And I heard, he never have another woman in his life.   I  began to think. “Perhaps, the communists  and political rebels  can be trusted more with young girls  than priests and pastors. And communists can be trusted  more with  government’s money,  than public  officials.”