On the 70th birth anniversary and 50-year life-and-death struggle of Professor Jose Maria “Joma” Sison for national and social liberation in the Philippines
By Ka Mike Montemayor
Deputy Secretary General
Lakas Ng Migrante Para Sa Pambansang Demokrasya (LAMPADA)
Milan, Italy
On behalf of LAMPADA I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to International Committee DEFEND for having invited me and my organization to render message of solidarity and recognition to comrade Professor J.M. Sison on his 70th birthday anniversary and 50 years of outstanding service to the Filipino people. We warmly salute Ka Joma for his historic political, organizational and ideological contribution to the intensifying national and social liberation movement in the Philippines and to the world proletarian movement.
Ka Joma is internationally known and acclaimed as a revolutionary proletariat theoretician, organizer, writer and a poet. In spite of his torture and cruel imprisonment under the Marcos dictatorship, life in forced exile since 1988 and persecution by imperialist forces, he remains firm in his commitment to the people’s liberation. Even his enemies recognize his steadfastness in upholding his revolutionary principles. His multifaceted political career started while he was an activist at the University of the Philippines way-back 1960’s, up to present where he serves as the chairperson of the ILPS (International League of People’s Struggle) and Chief Political Consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines – NDFP for peace negotiations with the government of the Republic of the Philippines – GRP .
I was a product of the FQS (First Quarter Storm) of 1970 and have not known much about Ka Joma until his capture in 1977 by the fascist regime of dictator Marcos. One of my favorite books prior to the declaration of Martial Law (1081) in 1972 was the PSR (Philippine Society and Revolution), authored by Amado Guerrero aside from the Mao’s Red Book. It was in 1989, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where I was elected as founding General Secretary of KUMPARE, a progressive migrants organization, when I began knowing who is Joma or Prof. Jose Maria Sison. In one occasion, our group leader told me that “in China they have Mao Tse Tung, in Vietnam, they have Ho Chi Min, while in the Philippines, we have Joma”. Later, I came to know that Joma was the founder of the re-established CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) and that Amado Guerrero was his revolutionary the pen name.
After 10 years of stays in Saudi Arabia, I went to Italy in 1991, determined to continue my political work of arousing, organizing and mobilizing Filipino migrants. In December 1998, I was invited to visit Utrecht to participate in a study session on the national democratic movement and struggle in the Philippines. There, I came to know Ka Joma as a teacher who also loves to sing and with a sense of humor. In Utrecht, I met Julie, Louie and Connie, Ruth and Manong and the rest of the NDFP staff. Aside from study sessions, I maximized my three days in Utrecht by attending political, social and cultural historical events.
Our organization is now engaged in promoting solidarity relations with progressive and democratic organizations. Through our initiatives, they were able to learn and know about the role of Ka Joma in the Filipino people’s struggle for sovereignty and national democracy. Recently, our organization decided to have an Italian translation of the PSR.
My organization and the patriotic and democratic Filipinos in Italy take this joyous and historic occasion to affirm our steadfast faithfulness and commitment to the principles that Ka Joma taught us and the just national democratic movement he guides.
Amidst the world peoples’ liberation movement and the world proletarian movement, Ka Joma is the living legend!!!
Long Live Ka Joma!!
Long Live The 70th Birthday Anniversary And The 50th-Year Life And Death Struggles Of Ka Joma!!
Long Live The National And Social Liberation Movement In The Philippines!!
Long Live The World Peoples’ Liberation Movement!!
Long Live The World proletarian Movement!!
