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

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Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal & His Glimpses onHistory

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.”