After 16 Years, Justice for ‘Ka Lando’ Remains Elusive

President Corazon Aquino herself vowed to bring the killers of labor leader Rolando Olalia and his companion to court. Sixteen years today – and after three more presidents – the brains of the gruesome killing of the two remain scot-free.

By Alexander Martin Remollino
Bulatlat.com

On Nov. 21, 1986, the main streets of Metro Manila were filled with nearly a million people with red banners marching behind flag-draped coffins. The coffins contained the corpses of labor leader Atty. Rolando "Ka Lando" Olalia and union organizer Leonardo "Ka Leonor" Alay-ay. Days before their bodies had been found in Antipolo, Rizal, bearing signs of brutal torture and murder.

Ka Lando was born on Sept. 3, 1934. He was among the children of labor and peasant leader Felixberto "Ka Bert" Olalia, Sr.

Born to a poor family, he had to work including as janitor in order to finance his studies.

In the 1960s, he got involved with the Malayang Samahan ng mga Magsasaka together with his father. At the same time, he also got involved in the growing youth movement, and was an active organizer of students in the University Belt area.

Upon the encouragement of Ka Bert, he took law and earned his law degree from the Manuel L. Quezon University in 1971. He was among the 100 highest-ranking bar examinees of that year. After that he handled several labor cases.

In the early 1980s, he became chairman of the National Federation of Labor Unions. He later went on to become chairman of the Kilusang Mayo Uno and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan. In 1986, he was also chosen to chair the militant political party Partido ng Bayan.

On Nov. 13, 1986, Ka Lando and Ka Leonor disappeared. The next day, their severely-mutilated bodies were found in Antipolo. Both of them were hogtied and their mouths stuffed with newspapers probably to muffle their cries. Their bodies bore bruises and stab wounds all over, and both bore gunshot wounds in the head.

General strikes

Just days before, Ka Lando had warned of general strikes if there were coup attempts against the eight-month-old government of Corazon Aquino. When coup attempts were mounted against the Aquino government and the right-wing "God Save the Queen" destabilization plot was revealed, it was widely suspected that the people behind this plot were the same people behind the murders of Ka Lando and Ka Leonor.

In January 1998, a witness who used to be with the Philippine Constabulary (now Philippine National Police) and was an intelligence agent under former Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile came forward, linking leaders of the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa, which staged several coup attempts against the Aquino administration, to the murders. Based on the witness’ affidavit, a case of kidnapping with murder was filed against Eduardo "Red" Kapunan, Oscar "Tito" Legaspi, Ricardo Dicon, Elpidio Layson, and Noe Wong. Also charged was journalist Cecilio Arillo.

Shortly after, the lawyers handling the case—Romeo Capulong, Marie Yuviengco, and Rolando Rico Olalia--were subjected to harassment.

The office of the Public Interest Law Center (PILC) was ransacked. Confidential files were forced open and searched. The central processing unit of one of their computers, along with one thousand seven hundred pesos, were stolen.

Capulong, now a justice of the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), together with Yuviengco, and Olalia also received several anonymous phone calls asking for information on their movements. The PILC office was visited by several suspicious persons supposedly asking for legal assistance.

Despite all these they, along with the relatives and comrades of Ka Lando and Ka Leonor, have remained undaunted.

It has been 16 years since Ka Lando Olalia and Ka Leonor Alay-ay were brutally tortured and murdered. To this day, they have yet to gain justice. And the fight goes on. Bulatlat.com 

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