FORMER Catholic priest Luis Jalandoni, also known as Ka Louie, one of the senior leaders of the communist-led National Democratic Front, died in the Netherlands last Saturday.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Central Committee announced the death of the 90-year-old Jalandoni, a member of the NDF National Executive Council, who it said “passed away peacefully” at 3:05 p.m. in Utrecht.
Jalandoni previously served as chairman of the NFP panel that negotiated peace with the government. He is married to Coni Ledesma, who is also a leader of the NDF.
“In his final moments, Ka Louie was surrounded by comrades, his wife Ka Coni, and his family,” the CPP Central Committee said in a statement.
“The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines expresses its condolences to Ka Louie’s family, whose love, strength, and support accompanied him through decades of service to the Filipino people’s revolutionary cause,” it added.
The CPP Central Committee described Jalandoni as “beloved by the masses, a true internationalist, revolutionary leader and stalwart of peace.”
Jalandoni, who comes from a family of big landlords and sugar barons in Negros Island, took part in the “Church to the Barrios” program, helping address problems like poverty, exploitation and state repression.
“His work among the masses transformed him, and deepened his resolve to act not just as a shepherd of faith, but as a servant of the revolution,” the CPP Central Committee said.
In February 1972, Jalandoni played a key role in founding the Christians for National Liberation (CNL) composed of progressive-minded religious workers “to resist the fascist state terror of the Marcos Sr. dictatorship.”
A month later, Jalandoni joined the CPP. In 1973, the CNL became a founding allied organization of the NDFP.
Also in 1973, Jalandoni and his wife were arrested and detained at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, where he was kept in a dark, windowless cell for almost a year.
He was released the following year and resumed revolutionary work.
In 1976, Jalandoni and his wife went abroad to lead international relations work to expose the “brutal crimes” of the Marcos administration.
Due to threats on their lives and the certainty of persecution, the couple later applied for and were granted political asylum in the Netherlands
He was designated as an international representative of the NDF and played a vital role in the establishment of the NDF’s International Office in Utrecht and the organization of global support for Filipino resistance against the Marcos dictatorship.
In 1989, he was assigned as the NDF’s chief negotiator.
“In this role, he exemplified the revolutionary movement’s firm commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace – one that addresses the roots of armed conflict: landlessness, poverty, and foreign subjugation,” the CPP Central Committee said.
“Through countless rounds of negotiations, Ka Louie firmly stood as a pillar of integrity and revolutionary resolve, always placing the Filipino masses at the center of the process,” it added.
The CPP Central Committee expressed its “deepest gratitude” to Jalandoni for dedicating his life” to the Filipino people, to the NDF and the CPP.
“We will forever cherish the immense contributions he made in advancing the people’s struggle for national and social liberation,” the CPP Central Committee said.
“As we mourn his passing, we firmly vow to carry forward his legacy of selfless service, boundless humility, revolutionary integrity, and commitment to waging the people’s democratic revolution until final victory is won,” it also said.
