By ALAN JAZMINES
Consultant, National Democratic Front of the Philippines
To Bel and the family and loved ones of Horacio “Ka Boy” Morales, his fellow fighters, friends and colleagues:
I, and others who were Ka Boy’s fellow comrades-in-arms and fellow fighters in the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF) extend our deep and heartfelt condolences at his demise.
We honor Ka Boy for devotedly having served the national democratic revolutionary movement in our country for a long time — starting from where he was stil l a ranking government official (as Executive Vice-President of the Development Academy of the Philippines), when he openly defected to the national democratic revolutionary movement on the very night he was to receive the award as one of the Ten Outstandi ng Young Men (TOYM) in the Philippines in December 1977, and when for several years he lived the life of a revolutionary fighter in the New People’s Army and became a leading cadre of the NDF.
Even before his open defection, when he was still active in the reactionary government’s bureaucracy, NDF comrades who were in touch with him saw in him a very high and fast rising enthusiasm in the national democratic revolutionary movement as he learned more and more about its cause and the basic changes it has been fighting for to replace the rotten reactionary government, state and social system he was still serving.
He was not only very much against the open fascist rule then heavily oppressing the people, but also and more basically he was against the semi-colonial and semi-feudal rule that has been keeping the country subjugated and backward, and its people exploited, oppressed, poor and miserable. High up the ladder of the rotten government and behind his cool and apparently unperturbed demeanor, he deeply felt the people’s sufferings and wanted to do all he could to help them in their fight.
He was fully convinced of the national democratic revolutionary line, strategy and program — the genuine national liberation, economic progress, social upliftment and a real bright future for the country and people can only be achieved by radically replacing the prevailing rotten, parasitical and oppressive government, state and social system with one that will be truly free, just, democratic, pro-progress and pro-people.
Even when he was still at the DAP, he had already secretly organized five active NDF groups right in the DAP, and three other groups in other agencies of the government. As a pleasant surprise, I learned later that at least one of my business management students at the Asian Institute of Management way back in 1974 was one of those he was recruiting into the national democratic revolutionary movement. Ka Boy also often arranged for the use of government facilities in support of NDF activities. He also organized arrangements for the solicitation and sending of support to NDF organizers and fighters in the field, including arms and other material needs.
He was, however, not content with working for the national democratic revolutionary movement at just those levels. The very night he was to be awarded TOYM recognition, he openly defected — leaving only a statement to be read for him by his mother about why he defected — and went straight to a consolidated area of the NDF in the countryside. I had the honor of directly assisting in his defection, personally accompanying him to a stable NDF base and making arrangements for his integration and safety.
In his decision to immerse with the people and serve them in the best way he could for their sake and future, he sacrificed a lot, including normal family life. Even if he was quiet about it, he missed his children, and it was not very easy for him. He was confident, however, they would later understand.
For a long time, he was based in one of the consolidated areas of authority of the people’s revolutionary government under the protection of the New Peoples’ Army and auspices of the NDF in Central Luzon. Living and working with the downtrodden, he learned more concretely and more deeply about their sufferings and the political-socio-economic-cultural causes of these historically embedded injustices in the prevailing rotten system, and became even determined to fight side by side with them for decisive fundamental changes in the government, state and social system prevailing in the country.
When he was later placed in the NDF’s National Secretariat, arrangements were made so that he and his fellow secretariat members, consultants and other personnel could safely travel, meet and consult with others the NDF needed to confer with in various regions in the country.
He was arrested and imprisoned by the Marcos martial law regime in 1982 and regained freedom after the People Power uprising in 1986.
Even as he later turned to other immediate concerns since then, he had always maintained basic sympathy with the national democratic revolutionary movement, had kept in touch with contacts in the NDF and, in a number of times, served as an informal bridge in alliance work and peace efforts.
Some, who are just learning now about it, would probably be surprised at how deep Ka Boy had become committed and directly involved in the national democratic revolutionary movement. It bears serious thought.
There have been others and there will be many more like him as the national democratic revolutionary movement advances.
We will not forget all that Ka Boy has done and fought for in furtherance of the movement and in the interest of the Filipino people.
ALAN JAZMINES
detained NDF Consultant
PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame
6 March 2012