AJLPP Update

May 29, 2008

Memorial Meetings For Ka Bel Held in the US

Los Angeles- A simple, solemn and intimate memorial meetings by Filipinos. Filipino-Americans and international solidarity allies were held in the cities of New York and Los Angeles in the United States last May 27 and 28 as Ka Bel was laid to rest in the Philippines. Other memorial meetings are also slated to be held in Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle next week.

Scores of activists from the Alliance-Philippines, Gabriela Network-USA and International solidarity groups like International ANSWER, Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), Justice for Filipino Americans (JFAV) and LAANE held the memorial meetings to pay their last respects to Ka Bel in Historic Filipinotown and Queens, New York.

In Los Angeles, KmB Chair Christine Araquel and Dr. Annalisa Enrile of Gabriela Network-USA led the May 28, meeting. Jason Yap. KmB Vice Chair in his opening remarks said: “ I am deeply honored of knowing and meeting Ka Bel during the ILPS 2004 Assembly in the Netherlands “

Preston Woods of ANSWER-LA, Lucilla Esgurera of PSL, Arturo Garcia of Alliance-Phillippines; Dr. Annalisa Enrile, Chair of Gabnet-USA and Milady Quito of Gabriela-Network-USA read their solidarity messages and gave personal testimonies about Ka Bel.

Preston Woods from International ANSWER said:“ We will always remember Ka Bel as an internationalist fighter, a man who lived and died for the proletariat and his people.”

Arturo Garcia of the AJLPP recounted his works with Ka Bel with the Yellow Taxi Drivers Union, PAKMAP and KASAMA in 1970’s and later the ILPS in 2001 and 2004. “ Ka Bel was bold and daring and always an example of honesty, simplicity and warm heartedness: Garcia recounted.

“ Ka Bel was humorous yet serious leader.” Dr. Enrile sharing her visits to Ka Bel while they went on human rights mission to visit to him in 2006. “ I will always remember his calloused hands, the hands that always outreach to the people, a steady and firm hands always ready to defend them.”

Milady Quito gave a cultural number while the KMB presented a video documentary on Ka Bel’s life and legacy.

The one hour long memorial ended with the rousing and militant hymn of Internationale (Bangon) in Tagalog with everyone giving Ka Bel a clenched fist salute.

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Scores of activists from the Alliance-Philippines, Gabriela Network-USA and International solidarity groups like International ANSWER, Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), Justice for Filipino Americans (JFAV) and LAANE held the memorial meetings to pay their last respects to Ka Bel in Historic Filipinotown and Queens, New York.

The one hour long memorial ended with the rousing and militant hymn of Internationale (Bangon) in Tagalog with everyone giving Ka Bel a clenched fist salute.