A
Blue Day for Red Fighters in Western Mindanao
"Alagaran ang Katawhan"
(Serve the People), read the words placed above the coffin of Mario
Bagundol, 41, the legendary communist guerilla leader of Zamboanga
Peninsula who died a day after an encounter with government troops in
Barangay Datagan, Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, early morning of Oct.
27.
BY MARS S. MARATA
Bulatlat
OZAMIS CITY- "Alagaran ang Katawhan" (Serve the People), read the
words placed above the coffin of Mario Bagundol, 41, the legendary
communist guerilla leader of Zamboanga Peninsula who died a day after an
encounter with government troops in Barangay Datagan, Sindangan, Zamboanga
del Norte, early morning of Oct. 27.
Below it were more
words:"Ang mamatay nga nag-alagad sa madaugdaugon ug mapahimuslanon,
mas gaan pa kay sa balahibo. Ang mamatay nga nag-alagad sa mga dinaugdaug
ug pinahimuslan, mas bug-at pa kay sa bukid Malindang" (To work and
die for the exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather. To work
and die for the exploited and oppressed is weightier than Mt.
Malindang).
Bagundol died Oct. 28
in a government hospital in Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte (417 kms
south of Manila). Indeed, for the masses who attended his burial on Nov. 5
in his hometown in Plaridel in Misamis Occidental (some 700 kms from
Manila), his death was weightier than Mt.
Malindang, the tallest mountain of
Zamboanga Peninsula.
More than a thousand people from all walks
of life and various parts of the region came to show their grief over the
death of Bagundol who was known to them in many names such as “Ka Orlan,”
“Ka Jolly” or “Ka Dorek.”
Martyr
In a funeral mass held a few hours before the burial, Rev. Fr. Sonny
Teleron of the Philippine Independent Church (PIC) and Pastor Belza of the
United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), likened the life of
Bagundol to that of Jesus Christ who offered his life to save the
oppressed Jews from the bondage of local exploiters in Palestine as well
as from foreign domination of Imperial Rome.
Teleron said that Bagundol, like Christ, fought for the rights of the
small farmers and workers against the exploitation of landlords and other
local exploiting classes in the Philippines as well as the colonial
intervention of foreign power like the United States.
Calling Bagundol a martyr, the priest said his life is worth emulating
especially for the poor who are the direct victims of poverty and
injustice in the country.
Teleron, who shed tears in the middle of his homily, said, "Nasayop
ang kagamhanang US-Arroyo ug ang pasistang militar sa ilang pagtoo nga
mohinay o kaha malumpag na ang rebolusyon dinhi sa Kasadpang Mindanao sa
kamatayon ni Ka Orlan."
"Sa iyang kamatayon, mas daghan pang Ka Orlan ang mosampa sa Bagong
Hukbong Bayan aron ipadayon ang pakigbisog ug lumpagon ang semi-pyudal ug
semi-kolonyal nga katilingban nga maoy hinungdan sa tumang kalisud sa
mayoriyang katawhan," Teleron added. (The U.S.-Arroyo regime and the
fascist Philippine army erred in believing that the death of Bagundol
would weaken the revolutionary movement in Western Mindanao. There will be
many Ka Orlans who will join the New People's Army to end the exploitation
of the masses caused by the semi-feudal, semi-colonial Philippine
society.)
After the mass, Bagundol’s family led the crowd toward Claren
Public Cemetery, a two-hour hike
along the national highway.
Red Day
The people in Plaridel were so amazed to see the golden yellow wreath
formed as hammer and sickle placed on the roof of the funeral parlor car.
Leading the car were huge flags of the Communist Party of the Philippines
(CPP), New People's Army (NPA), and National Democratic Front (NDF),
proudly waved by their bearers against the glowing morning sun of Nov. 5.
As the crowd passed by, onlookers readily grabbed the leaflets depicting
the heroic life of Bagundol passed along by the team assigned to
distribute them.
In between the militant songs, whose themes exhorted hope amidst death,
the marching crowd readily responded to the agitation heard over the loud
speakers installed on the roof of a motorcyle: Mabuhi si Ka Jolly ug
tanang martir sa rebolusyong Pilipino! (Long live Ka Jolly and other
martyrs of the Philippine revolution!)
Upon reaching the cemetery, Bagundol's coffin, wrapped in CPP’s flag, was
slowly placed in a prepared concrete tomb by the grieving relatives. And
as sobs of the relatives started to resound all over the cemetery, the
crowd sang the "Internationale," the theme song of all communists the
world over.
Red servant and leader
Bagundol was born on Nov. 30, 1963. A son of a farm-worker, Bagundol’s
mother remembers him as "a very industrious son." He joined the NPA in
1982, serving first as a militia member then rising to the leadership as
the regional commander of NPA-Western Mindanao.
He earned the admiration of his comrades because of his "love
for manual work."
"Even when he was already a respected NPA
leader, he remained as the old ‘Ka Jolly’ who gathered firewood, fetched
water and cooked food for all," said Ismael Marte, spokesperson of the
CPP-NPA in Western Mindanao.
Bagundol remained simple, leading comrades not by the power of his
position but by the power of his exemplary deeds, Marte added. During
ideological discussions, "he was usually silent but would always have a
ballpen and notebook ready to record his revolutionary tasks," Marte
added.
The masses of Mt. Malindang in Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga del Norte,
Mts. Paraya and Pinokis, in Zamboanga del Sur and Mt.
Matungkol in Zamboanga Sibuguey
regard Ka Jolly with high respect, Marte further said. He was remembered
as a medic, cultural artist, propagandist and as a Red fighter.
Bagundol was "uncle" to kids whom he circumcised, trimmed their hair with
and bathed due to skin diseases. He was "kumpare"* to the farmers
and the Lumads (Subanen) and "Bapa** Abdul" to the Moro
masses, the spokesperson added.
Fallen
Bagundol succumbed to the bullet of his enemy on Oct. 28, day after a team
of the NPA attacked a 14-man 44th IB PA detachment in Barangay (village)
Datagan, Sindagan, Zamboanga del Norte. His death came after his team was
about to retrieve firearms from the fallen government troops overpowered
after the 30-minute gunbattle.
Unknown to them was a soldier hiding inside a foxhole who shot
Bagundol. Another NPA called “Ka Marlo” came to reinforce Bagundol but was
also hit. He died on the spot.
Four were killed and eight were seriously injured on the side of
the government, according to the CPP-NPA.
After being given
first aid by his retreating comrades, Bagundol was left with a peasant
family who was instructed to bring him to the nearest hospital in
Sindangan. Before he was transported to the hospital, military
reinforcement came and brought him to Sindangan Emergency Hospital. But
because of lack of facilities and medicine, hospital management decided to
bring him to Dipolog City, capital of Zamboanga del Norte, two-hour ride
from the town supposedly for adequate medical treatment.
Bagundol died as
relatives and friends exerted effort to transfer him to a better-equipped
hospital.
Col. Emmanuel Cayton,
commanding officer of the 102nd Brigade based in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay
said the death of Bagundol is a substantial gain of the entire armed
forces' campaign against the communist movement operating in Western
Mindanao.
Bagundol had a Php
500,000 (US$8929 at US$1=PhP56))-bounty on his head. Bulatlat
*a term used to
address the godfather of one’s child; also used to address a good friend
** term used by
Muslims to address a person with respect
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