(20 May 2008 Geneva). We heard the passing of Ka Bel, our great labor leader, people's parliamentarian and international workers fighter.
Migrante Geneva is inspired by Ka BEL in our continuing struggle to fight for our (migrant) workers rights.
PRESS STATEMENT - Working class hero Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltranleaves a living legacy
From the Office of Rep. Crispin B. Beltran National Headquarters 426-9442 Email. crispinbeltran@gmail.com Reference: Rep.Crispin Beltran 0927.8711080Chief of Staff, Lu Roque, 931.6615Media Liasion Officer, Mao Hermitanio 0926.4469017PRESS STATEMENTMay 20, 2008
Working class hero Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran leaves a living legacy
Today, Rep. Crispin B. Beltran, ANAKPAWIS Party list representative onhis 3rd term in Congress, a great labor leader, an incorruptibleparliamentarian, staunch fighter for national freedom, democracy andinternational working class solidarity, died at 11:48am at the FEUhospital in Quezon City due to severe head injuries. He was 75.
We mourn with his family and friends, comrades and colleagues. Yet, inhis passing, he left a distinctive and brilliant legacy of fightingfor the interest of the workers and oppressed peoples. Rep. Beltran isscheduled to file a bill to remove the e-vat on electric power tolower the rates affecting his constituents. Rep. Beltran's study ofhis legislative measures are for the protection of the underprivilegedand other marginalized sectors.
Crispin Beltran, more endeared to the masses as "Ka Bel", is a livinglegend and epitome of militancy and progressive lawmaking in thecountry. He is currently the Chairman of the national political partyAnakpawis (Toiling Masses) Partylist and is its re-electedRepresentative in the Philippine Congress.
Having been an activist for over fifty long years, Ka Bel is esteemedby laborers, peasants, urban poor and other marginalized sectors as atrue defender of the toiling masses and staunch critic ofprivatization, deregulation and other destructive policies ofglobalization.
Ka Bel also stands against the United States' war of aggression onIraq and its war on terror. He also is steadfast in his call forrespect for national sovereignty and international unity againstforeign intervention.
During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, at an early age, KaBel volunteered as a courier for the guerillas. After the war, heworked as a farm hand and janitor to support his studies. He thenworked as a gasoline boy, messenger, bus driver and later on, a taxidriver. At age 20, he joined his fellow drivers in a strike againstunfair labor practices. The police attacked their picket line, injuredmany and claimed the lives of three protesting workers. Since then, KaBel vowed to fight alongside the working class.
He organized the Amalgamated Taxi Drivers Association, for which heserved as President from 1955 up to 1963. Together with Felixberto 'KaBert' Olalia and Feliciano Reyes, leaders of the Filipino labormovement's militant tradition, he organized the Confederation of Laborof the Philippines (CLP). He was CLP's Vice-President from 1963 to1972. Ka Bel also helped found the Philippine Workers Congress andother labor organizations such as KASAMA and PACMAP, which de factoasserted their recognition during Martial Law.
Under the repressive martial law, Ka Bel helped establish theFederation of Unions in Rizal and
the Philippine Nationalist LaborOrganization (PANALO) until KMU was founded in 1980. From 100,000,KMU's membership soared to 500,000 in the 1980s. The establishment ofKMU united and strengthened the people in its fight against thefascism of the Marcos dictatorship.
When Marcos launched a crackdown in August 1982, Ka Bel was one ofthose arrested and detained. In November 1984, he was able to escape,and went back to organizing workers and peasant s in the countryside.When Ka Rolando "Lando" Olalia was brutally murdered in 1987, Ka Beltook over the presidency of KMU. He ran for senator under the bannerof Partido ng Bayan that same year and garnered 1.52 mi llion votesbut lost due to massive "dagdag bawas" (ballot and vote switching)scheme of elect ion fraud. He remained a leader of the militant unionuntil March 2003.
He also became a National Council Member of multi-sectoral allianceBagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) which means New Patriotic Alliance)in 1985 and also served as its national chairperson from 1993 to 1999.Ka Bel became the chairman of the International League for People'sStruggles in 2002. He is also considered as one of the pillars ofinternational working class solidarity in the era of globalization.
From February 2001 to November 2003, he served as Vice President andone of the three representatives of Bayan Muna (People First)Partylist to Congress, where he introduced legislations imbued withhis high sense of patriotism and advocacy of the rights and welfare ofthe marginalized sectors.
In 2004, he became the representative for Anakpawis Partylist as asectoral representative of workers, peasants, urban poor and othertoiling masses.
Ka Bel was cited by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism as thepartylist representative in the 13th Congress with the most number of bills andresolutions filed, totaling to 130, and with a nearly perfect attendance beforehis arrest in February 2006.
His three-term stint in the House of Representatives has garnered himawards such as Filipino of the Year and Most Outstanding Congressmanfor four consecutive years from 2002 - 2005, and in 2006, was adjudgedpart of the Congressional Hal l of Fame - all these and the respect ofthe public he reaped even as the Arroyo regime continues to persecutehim and his fellow activists.
After his arrest and year-and-a-half long arbitrary and illegaldetention initiated by the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, KaBel was proven innocent of the rebellion charges against him.Persecution, however, persists through the fabricated inciting tosedition case that the Metropolitan Court of Quezon City refuses todismiss until now, despite legal prohibit ions for duly-electedofficials to be charged with crimes punishable by not more than s ixyears of imprisonment such as inciting to sedition.
In October 2007, Ka Bel exposed bribery attempts by administrationallies, particularly by KAMPI member Francis Ver. He was offered P2million in exchange for his support to the weak impeachment complaintagainst President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Ka Bel is survived by 11 children, 29 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. His remains will be interred at his home, May 20, at Lot 16,Blk. 30 Francisco, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and transferred to theUP Catholic Chapel starting May 21. ###
--Anakpawis Rep. Crispin B. BeltranRm.602 South Wing, House of RepresentativesCommonwealth, Quezon City931.6615
Liberté pour Député Crispin 'KA BEL' Beltran.
