On 35th year of Escalante Massacre:
Freedom sought for cultural activists imprisoned in Escalante

The people of Escalante City in Negros Occidental province are no strangers to the horrors of tyranny and dictatorship.

Each and every year for more than three decades now, the people never once failed to hold the “EscaM” a community activity commemorating the Escalante Massacre of September 20, 1985.

This tradition previously institutionalized by the local government of Escalante City through efforts of massacre survivors, is complete with a cultural reenactment of the bloody incident, special ecumenical services for the martyrs, and a militant protest march on the city streets to condemn Martial Law.

Under the Duterte administration, however, this enduring people’s tradition became the target of militarists and historical revisionists. Amid intense pressure and brutal repression from authorities, the people triumphed in holding the 34th EscaM last year – but not without the sacrifice of social activists, Escalante’s modern heroes who urge us to never bow down to tyranny.

Late afternoon of September 18, 2019, eight members of a mobile publicity team for the 34th EscaM commemoration drove their way back to Escalante from San Carlos City aboard a rented jeep. It was the second day of their MPT tour – playing progressive songs on a mobile sound system, distributing invitation flyers to people in the streets, and taking videos and selfies as they drove by. Their aims were no secret – they proudly and loudly publicized their intentions. It was then that they were abruptly flagged down and harassed by masked men along the highway.

The activists were later arrested by uniformed police and military elements of the Escalante City PNP and 79th IB of the Philippine Army who set up a road block in Brgy. Jonob-jonob, Escalante City. Short firearms and home-made explosives were planted in their vehicle to justify the checkpoint. Authorities tagged them as NPA rebels who were cooking up a secret plot.

A year after, and amid the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic to the health of thousands of detained persons throughout the country, the Escalante 8 continue to languish in jail based on fabricated charges of illegal possesion of fireams and explosives.

The Escalante 8 are Joel Guillero, Leon Charita, and Bienvenido Ducay of the National Federation of Sugar Workers(NFSW); Kenneth Serrondo, Carlo Aporado, Rolly Hernando and Reynaldo Saura of Teatro Obrero; and Aiza Orbeso of Kadamay.

“The people demand the freedom of the Escalante 8. Junk all the fabricated charges! It is truly unjust for them to languish in jail for a year now , even with a serious health and humanitarian crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic threatening detention facilities in the country, ” said Bennie Alibutdan of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) in North Negros.

KMP joins the Northern Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (NNAHRA).
NNAHRA, BAYAN-Negros and Karapatan Negros Island in mounting the EscaM commemoration online. The #OnlineEscaM will be streamed via Facebook tomorrow, September 20, 2020 from 9am to 11 am at the Defend Negros Island FB page.(httl://www.fb.com/DefendNegIsland)

NNAHRA also noted that around 20% of all Negros political prisoners are from, or connected to land rights struggles in Escalante City.

After the arrest of the Escalante 8, the offices and homes of peasant leader in Escalante were among those raided by combined police and military personnel on November 1, 2019.

“Military rule is indeed upon us now that people are detained on mere basis of their political beliefs. Free all political prisoners!” ended Alibutdan
—