ON THE PASSING AWAY OF ANAKPAWIS REP. CRISPIN "KA BEL" BELTRAN

Gabriela Women's Party mourns the passing away of veteran labor leader
and militant partylist Representative Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran.

In his death, we have lost a most formidable ally of workers, peasants
and the urban poor.

He has lived a worthy life in defense of the rights of workers and the
toiling masses as president of the Kilusang Mayo Uno and eventually as
a representative of Bayan Muna in the 12th Congress and of Anakpawis
Partylist in the 13th and 14th Congress. Ka Bel is behind the proposed
P125 across the board legislated wage increase and the Genuine
Agrarian Reform Bill.

He has faced battles as political detainee during the Marcos
administration and later on under the Arroyo regime after President
Arroyo declared a crackdown on her most vocal critics and issued
Proclamation 1017.

We grieve with Ka Bel's family and the masses that he has courageously
and wholeheartedly served. We shall carry on his dreams of leaving his
grandchildren and the Filipino masses a more humane and just society.