PRWC
39 years ago, during the dwindling years of the then US-Marcos dictatorship, thousands of farmers, sugar workers, and fisherfolks along with students, urban poor, professionals and church people, experienced the brutality of the then town Mayor Braulio Lumayno and former Congressman Armando Gustilo of Escalante, Negros Occidental. Placards of legitimate demands and militant chanting were met by automatic rifles and a .60 machine gun coming from the Regional Special Action Forces (RSAF), local policemen, Civilian Home Defense Force (CHDF), and unidentified armed individuals, as commanded by Lumayno and Gustilo. The massacre claimed 20 lives and wounded other 30 individuals.
“Today, we remember the tragedy that fell upon the victims of Escalante Massacre. Not only because it exposes the extent of brutality the government officials (of the reactionary state) are willing to do just to preserve their power and wealth, but also because after decades, the justice for the victims remain elusive,” Ka Kanor Alpeche, deputy spokesperson of Leonardo Panaligan Command-New People’s Army (LPC-NPA) pointed out, while recalling the events of Escalante Massacre and its aftermath.
It should be noted that only three low-ranked policemen were ruled guilty to take accountability of the massacre despite the charges against the other personalities involved in the crime. In 2007, they were released on parole. The rest of the criminals behind the massacre lives freely and were even promoted to a higher rank. Additionally, neither Lumayno nor Gustilo was summoned for trial.
“Letting the criminals enjoy their lives while the victims and their families continue to suffer is never a picture of justice prevailing. This is a common scene in a country of violence and impunity, of exploitation and oppression,” Alpeche added.
The monocrop industry of the island bears numerous land and labor issues. As such, the anti-feudal struggle and massive mass campaigns are inevitable. This is the reason why Negros continues to be one of the heavily-militarized regions in the country. Even up to this day, paramilitary and battalions of the military forces are deployed in the area to ensure that no one raises his fist against inhumane living conditions, and to protect the interests of the ruling class.
Every president of the reactionary state leaves a bloody trail behind. The recent ones were recorded during Duterte’s Oplan Tokhang which killed almost 40,000 civilians and his Oplan Sauron 1 and 2 which in which 20 farmers were killed and almost 100 farmers were arrested with fabricated cases. Thousands were also stucked in prison due to trumped up charges, including the Escalante 8 in 2019. The current fascist administration of Marcos Jr. is also responsible for the Jacolbe Massacre in Guihulngan City last 2022 and the Fausto Massacre in South Central Negros last year.
“Our dedication in serving the people includes giving justice to the victims of the reactionary state. The barrel of our guns will rightfully punish the criminals behind the state-sponspored violence,” Alpeche ended with conviction.
