REUNION. Mayor Pamintuan raises his ‘Gawad Parangal’ given to 12 former Kabit Bisig ng Mag-aaral members and sympathizers.
Joining him are the awardees and representatives of those given posthumous awards. Photo by Joey Pavia
ANGELES CITY – Mayor Edgardo “Ed” Pamintuan and a former barangay captain killed at the Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac were among the 12 people honored on Saturday at the 30th founding anniversary of the Kapit Bisig ng Mag-aaral (KBM) based at Holy Angel University (HAU).
Alexander Cauguiran and Ben Canlas, foremost leaders of the KBM, led some 100 members in giving “Gawad Parangal” to Mayor Pamintuan, Benedict Tiotuico, former Mabalacat Councilor Jad Dayrit, columnist Abel Madlambayan and Leopoldo Henson.
Posthumous recognitions were given to former KBM stalwarts and sympathizers Pedrito Pineda, Cris Palo, Paquito Francisco, Joel Ordonez, Ricardo Ramos, Annabel Rivera and Atty. Juanito Velasco .
Pamintuan was recognized for giving free legal assistance to KBM members arrested and charged during the martial law period imposed by the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
“I won all the 83 cases for the Kapit Bisig and I understand them being one of first students in the 70’s to protest the Marcos dictatorship. I could not believe I am still alive,” said Pamintuan, former human rights lawyer who finished law at the San Beda College in Manila.
Ramos was a former HAU engineering student council chairman killed near his favorite nipa hut in Mapalacsiao, Tarlac, one of the 10 villages inside the Hacienda Luisita.
He was a barangay captain of Mapalacsiao and president of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union when allegedly murdered by members of the Philippine Army on October 25, 2005.
Ramos was one of those who led the strike at the Hacienda Luisita in November 2004 considered as the bloodiest rally in Central Luzon. It was staged by some 5,000 hacienda workers and farmers.
Seven people were reportedly killed and hundreds were injured, including Ramos who was wounded in the head.
“We honored some of our members who gave up their lives, in joining the highest form of struggle, after graduating in college. Some have not even graduated,” said Cauguiran. He was the only KBM official voted twice as president of the Holy Angel student council.
Jose David Jr. a KBM official in 1981-82, said “let us honor those KBMers who paid the ultimate sacrifice – they must forever be enshrined in our hearts and inspire us to commit even more to what we believe in.”
Cauguiran said his group will come out with a coffee table book showing the “truth about what happened at Holy Angel regardless of who was wrong or right.” He urged the HAU management “not to hide the truth in their books.”
Canlas was the founding president of KBM established in 1981.
The KBM led student boycotts which paralyzed operations at then Holy Angel College. The group protested militarization and high tuition.
Among those mentioned in the speeches of the group’s leaders were KBM officials Bernadette Herrera-David, Lito Reyes and Dodong De La Cruz, who flew in from the USA to attend the celebration at the City Library.
Francis Pangilinan and his batchmate, Cristina Garcia, joined the last student boycott at the Holy Angel in 1994. Pangilinan was kicked out of the school after joining the protest.
