| |
Statement
May 20, 2008
Reference: Berna Ellorin, Secretary General, BAYAN USA, email: secgen@bayanusa.org
FIL-AMS MOURN THE DEATH OF GREAT FILIPINO LABOR LEADER, CRISPIN BELTRAN
Bayan USA Statement on Ka Bel's Passing
It is with great sadness that the US Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan,
or BAYAN USA, mourns the death of great Filipino labor leader and
proletarian Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran. News of his passing at 11:48am on
Monday, May 20th Philippine time spread like wildfire among our membership
across both west and east coasts, in at least five major US cities. Our
heartfelt condolences and sympathies immediately go out to Ka Bel's wife
Ka Osang and their family of 10 children and 27 grandchildren.
For us, Ka Bel was a legend in his own time, a model of a "tibak" through
the decades to emulate. In his over half-century of service to the
Filipino people and the Philippine struggle for genuine democracy and
freedom, Ka Bel never wavered for an instant in his conviction and
commitment. That is simply because Ka Bel was the most remolded of
comrades, with a fighting spirit permanently fixated in his being. He was
a man who was born from and continued to live simply and humbly among the
Filipino urban poor, even though he was already taking on in his later
years the distinguished role of Congressman in the Lower House of the
Philippine Congress. Ka Bel lived and died with the simplicity of the
Filipino "masa".
Few comrades in our time have the impressive list of credits stacked up in
Ka Bel's resume. For such a simple man, he is forever etched in our minds
as the great Chairman Emeritus of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), the
militant nationalist alliance of Philippine labor groups and unions that
was instrumental in the overall Philippine national struggle that ousted
two US puppet presidents and even unwanted US military bases. But few of
us in the US recall his even humbler beginnings as a taxi driver in the
streets of Manila back in the 1950's.
While many activists of his generation began in the campus-based youth and
student movement, Ka Bel was a real worker who emerged out of worker's
struggles related to wages, contracts, and job security.
Ka Bel was the president of the Yellow Taxi Drivers' Union and the
Amalgamated Taxi Drivers Federation from 1955 through 1963. He later
became the an administrator with the Confederation of Labor Unions of the
Philippines from 1963-1972, and eventually the vice president of the
Philippine Alliance of Nationalist Organizations (PANALO) which
transformed into the Alliance of Nationalist Genuine Labor Organizations
(ANGLO), which was affiliated with the KMU, which was established on May
1, 1980. In his 20's, Ka Bel's name was already famously-linked to street
protests, pickets, strikes and labor struggles.
As Secretary-General of the KMU, Ka Bel served alongside historical and
stalwart labor greats such as Felixberto "Bert" Olalia in the early
1980's. As a force of nature against the US-backed Marcos dictatorship, Ka
Bel and other KMU leaders where arrested in 1982, and together were thrown
in jail to succumb to years of torture by their captors. While Ka Bert
eventually died of pneumonia in his jail cell, Ka Bel lived on to continue
the labor fight upon his great escape from prison, despite his health
impediments related to his detention.
Fresh from escape from the clutches of the Marcos dictatorship, Ka Bel
took refuge in the countryside in Central Luzon, where he stayed with the
guerrilla movement of the New People's Army (NPA). There he was known as
"Ka Anto" and stayed for two years before returning to the city upon
Marcos' ouster from People Power in 1986.
Ka Bel was also a great internationalist. Revered not only as a Philippine
labor leader, Ka Bel advocated and spoke on behalf of labor struggles of
different global regions, and was grounded in his belief of the great
international struggle of the world's proletariat. He was also the
founding Chair of the International League of People's Struggle (ILPS) in
2001.
From 2001 on, Ka Bel served in a minority of pro-poor legislators in
Philippine House of Representatives, where he also became an advocate
particularly for the rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers. In
the last years of his life, Ka Bel was once again thrown into prison for
trumped-up charges of rebellion and sedition. Even with his failing health
and the intensification of state terrorism under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
(GMA) regime, Ka Bel remained unfazed until his joyous liberation last
year.
Such stories of great leaders do not come often in our human history, and
they have also served as inspirations for the formation of people's
organizations outside of the homefront, such as ours. That is why to honor
his life, BAYAN USA pledges to emulate his example and strengthen our
resolve to contribute fully to the Philippine people's struggle for
genuine nationalism and freedom, as well as the struggle to oust the
morally-bankrupt Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime. Generations of subsequent
Filipino, overseas Filipino, and international labor activists will not
let his example die.
MABUHAY ANG DIWA NI KA BEL!
LONG LIVE THE SPIRIT OF KA BEL!
MABUHAY ANG KILUSAN PARA SA PAMBANSANG DEMOKRASYA!
LONG LIVE THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT!
------------------------------------------------
News Release
May 22, 2008
Reference: Berna Ellorin, Secretary-General, BAYAN USA, email: secgen@bayanusa.org
BAYAN USA PAYS TRIBUTE TO KA BEL IN DAYS OF ACTION
The US Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or BAYAN USA, an alliance of
over 12 Filipino organizations in the United States will pay tribute to
Philippine House Representative Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran next week with
days of action between Thursday, May 29th and Saturday, May 31st. Ka Bel
died from suffering head injuries related to falling from his roof earlier
this week. He was 75 years old.
Actions ranging from prayer services and vigils to forums and concerts
will be organized by BAYAN USA member organizations and close allies in
the coming days in Los Angeles, San Francisco/Bay Area, Seattle, Chicago,
New York, and Washington DC.
The alliance, founded as the first overseas territorial chapter of the
Philippine-based BAYAN in 2005, says it was largely inspired by Ka Bel's
life and struggle to carry the Filipino people's movement for national
sovereignty and democracy to overseas Filipino communities.
"As a Congressman, Ka Bel supported and fought for the rights of overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs) inside the halls of the Philippine Congress, but
it was his decades as a leader of the Philippine and international labor
movement, as well as the parliament of the streets that gives us the
greatest inspiration," stated BAYAN USA Chair Chito Quijano, also a trade
unionist in the US.
For many in the US, the name Ka Bel is still unfamiliar. Ka Bel was one of
many progressive leaders from the Philippines who are banned by the US
government from entering the United States. Earlier this year, Ka Bel
visited parliamentarians in Canada and conducted a national Canadian
speaking tour.
BAYAN USA will be conducting an education initiative to educate more US
citizens about Ka Bel and strengthen labor solidarity between the US and
the Philippines.
For more information, contact info@bayanusa.org. ###
|
|
