Luis Jalandoni 鈥擩im Guiao Punzalan
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Luis 鈥淟ouie鈥� Jalandoni, former chair of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), has died, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) announced on Saturday. He was 90 years old.
鈥淚t is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Ka Louie Jalandoni, beloved by the masses, a true internationalist, revolutionary leader and stalwart of peace,鈥� the CPP said in a statement.
Jalandoni 鈥減assed away peacefully鈥� on June 7 at 9:05 a.m. (3:05 p.m. in Manila) in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
鈥淚n his final moments, Ka Louie was surrounded by comrades, his wife Ka Coni, and his family,鈥� the statement read.
鈥淲e express our condolences to Ka Louie鈥檚 family, whose love, strength, and support accompanied him through decades of service to the Filipino people鈥檚 revolutionary cause,鈥� it added.
READ: CPP denounces ATC鈥檚 terrorist tag of NDFP鈥檚 Luis Jalandoni, 5 others
Former priest
Jalandoni was born on Feb. 16, 1935, to a landed family in Silay, Negros Occidental. He was reported to have donated farmlands he inherited from his family in the 1960s to landless workers.
He became a Roman Catholic priest in Negros and cofounded the Christians for National Liberation in 1972. The underground revolutionary organization sought to unite Church members in advancing progressive causes.
In 1973, authorities arrested him together with Coni Ledesma, a former nun and school principal, who would become his wife. He formally left the priesthood in 1974 and married Ledesma later that year.
Jalandoni is survived also by his only son, Jose Edmundo, and two grandchildren.
An Inquirer article in September 2011 described his life in exile as having 鈥渙ne foot always rooted in the Philippines.鈥�
He organized small solidarity actions in Utrecht to coincide with major protest actions in the Philippines and even welcomed into his modest home visiting Philippine officials and representatives of international organizations.
Peace negotiations
Jalandoni was NDFP chair from 1989 to 2016. The communist movement credits him for his crucial role in leading peace negotiations with the government until 2016.
His top comrade in the communist movement, CPP founder Jose Ma. Sison, died at age 83 also in exile in Utrecht on Dec. 16, 2022.
On Duterte terror list
In October 2016, Jalandoni made a projection that 鈥淭he Left will be a reliable ally to the Duterte administration in fighting against US imperialist threats and other antipeople forces.鈥�
But in June 2022, at the tail end of the Duterte administration, he was included by the Anti-Terrorism Council on its list of terrorists together with other members of the CPP, New People鈥檚 Army and NDFP. /cb