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Katipunan ng mga Gurong Makabayan (KAGUMA)

Nagpupugay ang mga gurong Pilipino sa kadakilaan ni Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal

Pambansang Kalihiman

Katipunan ng mga Gurong Makabayan (KAGUMA-NDFP)

Oktubre 21, 2011

Ang mga guro ng bayan, sa loob at labas ng kanilang silid-aralan sa buong kapuluan ay taas-kamaong sumasaludo at nagpupugay sa kadakilaan ni kasamang Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal.

Inialay ni Ka Roger ang apat na dekada ng kanyang buhay hanggang sa huling tibok ng kanyang puso sa paglilingkod sa bayan, sa Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas at sa rebolusyong Pilipino. Buhay na inialay nang sa gayo’y matamasa ng henerasyon ng sabayanang Pilipino sa hinaharap ang tunay na malaya, demokratiko, maunlad at mapayapang Pilipinas.

Nakalarawan na ang mukha ni Ka Roger sa paningin ng mamamayan bilang mukha ng rebolusyonaryong kilusan ng sambayanang Pilipinong patuloy na nakikibaka para sa tunay na kalayaan at demokrasya ng ating bansa.

Nakarekord na ang boses ni Ka Roger sa pandinig ng mamamayan bilang tinig ng rebolusyon para sa tunay na pagbabago laban sa bulok na malakolonyal at malapyudal na sistema ng lipunan.

Nakamarka na si Ka Roger bilang simbolo ng pakikibaka ng mga karaniwang taong malaon nang naghihimagsik upang ibagsak ang imperyalismo, pyudalismo at burukrata kapitalismo na siyang puno’t dulo ng kahirapan at kaapihan ng mamamayang Pilipino.

Bukod sa pagiging epektibong propagandista, mahusay na organisador, magiting na mandirigma, matatag na kadre, at matalinong pinuno – isa ring dakilang guro si Ka Roger ng rebolusyong Pilipino.

Ang mayaman niyang karanasan at gagap sa praktika ng lipunan at kongkretong pakikibaka ng mamamayan na may mahigpit na gabay at paglalapat ng linya ng demokratikong rebolusyong bayan at ng mayamang teorya at praktika ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo ang mismong naghubog kay Ka Roger upang maging paham sa pagtuturo, pagpapaliwanag at pagpapaunawa ng mga prinsipyo, pananaw, paninindigan at pamamaraan ng rebolusyong Pilipino.

Tanging straight UNO ang gradong ibinibigay ng mga guro ng bayan sa ipinamalas at ipinamanang mong galing, husay at kabutihan sa bayan, Ka Roger, na permanente na ngang nakatala sa record ng rebolusyonaryong kasaysayan ng sambayanang Pilipino.

Ka Roger, isa kang dakilang rebolusyonaryong Pilipino, sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa! Laman ka na ng Lesson Plan ng mga guro ng bayan na patuloy na magtuturo at magsasapraktika ng demokratikong rebolusyong bayan na may sosyalistang perspektiba, di lamang sa apat na sulok ng silid-aralan, kundi pati rin sa bawat sulok ng lipunan, hangang makamit ng sambayanan ang tunay na pambansa at panlipunang kalayaan! #

Parangal na may dangal
By Rolando B. Tolentino
 

Rebyu ng Parangal kay Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal (21 Oktubre 2011)

Hindi ordinaryong buhay ang kay Gregorio Rosal, kahit pa ordinaryo ang kanyang pinanggalingang kwento. Mahirap, galing sa pamilya ng magsasaka, malaking mag-anak, nagbenta ng kulambo, nagpilit makapagtapos sa kolehiyo. Ang kaibahan sa kanyang kwento ay ang pagpiling mamulat, manindigan, at kumilos para sa kanyang paninindigan.

Kaya nang ianunsyo ng Oktubre 2011 ang kanyang pagyao, maningning na ang kanyang nakamit para sa kilusan: apat na dekadang pagiging kasapi ng New People’s Army, tatlong dekada ng pagiging tagapagsalita ng National Democratic Front, at isang dekada ng pagiging bahagi ng propaganda commission ng Communist Party of the Philippines.

Ang kaningningan ng kanyang pakikilahok ang kabiyak na pisngi na itinampok sa parangal sa University Theater. Ang katambal na kabiyak ay ang pagiging tao ni Ka Roger. Sa kilusang andergrawnd na nagpapahalaga sa lihim at patagong pagkilos, ang pagkilala sa pagkatao at personahe ni Ka Roger ay hakbang tungo sa pagbibigay ng mukha ng kilusan, at kilusan ding nagbibigay-mukha sa kanyang kasapi.

Maraming sikreto ang muling naihayag, marami rin ang nahayag. Naging tao ang rebolusyonaryo. Naging makatao ang rebolusyonaryong kilusan. Ang kamatayan ni Ka Roger ay naging rebolusyonaryong tapang—na ang rebolusyonaryong paninindigan at ang paninindigang maging rebolusyonaryo ay muling nareafirma sa parangal.

Kakatwa ang idea ng parangal, di ba? Ipinagkakaloob lamang sa natatanging mga tao, at matapos ng kanilang kamatayan. Ang natatangi ay nililikhang tao, at ang tao ay ginagawang natatangi, pero matapos nga ng kanilang pagpanaw.

Sa artikulong “Picturing the dead”, nagiging kakatwa ang fasinasyon para sa imahen ng mga sikat na taong pinatay. Nang mamatay si Ernesto “Che” Guevara, ang kanyang nakadilat na mukha na nakapatong sa konkretong patungan sa isang labahan sa Bolivia ang ipinakalat ng diktadurya at ng Central Intelligence Agency para sabihing namatay na ang rebolusyonaryo. Pinatay na, at nagtagumpay ang estado’t kapitalismo.

Nang patayin na parang hayop si Muammar Qadaffi, kumalat ang blow-by-blow video at imahen nito sa Internet at pahayagan. Di pa nakuntento ang mamamayan, dinispley pa ang katawan sa isang tindahan ng karne. Itong brutal na imahen ng kamatayan ng isang pambansang lider ang magmumulto sa susunod na hinaharap ng Libya.

Kailangang may buhay sa kamatayan, may nalalabing kwento. Nang iburol si Ninoy Aquino, di tinakpan ang kanyang duguang katawan. Ipinakita ito sa milyon-milyong dumalaw, at kumalat itong larawan sa mga pahayagan. Nang mamatay si Ferdinand Marcos, ipinaembalsamo ito, nilagay sa aircon na kwarto, at idinispley. Creepy ang imahen ng necrophilia na paghalik ni Imelda sa salamin ng eskaparate.

Nang mamatay si Cory Aquino, walang imahen ng kanyang paghina at kamatayan ang lumaganap. Sinilyedo sa kanyang kabaong ang imahen at kwento. Kaya ang namayani ay ang kanyang pagiging santa, ang Joan of Arc ng bansa na namuno sa pagpapatalsik sa diktaduryang Marcos.

Ang kamatayan ng isang rebolusyonaryo ay natatangi dahil nabubuhay ang kontribusyon at alaala sa pag-unlad ng mismong rebolusyonaryong kilusan. Pinaparangalan ang rebolusyonaryo hindi dahil pinili nito ang landas na mas madalang tahakin kundi pinili nito ang landas tungo sa sangandaan ng panlipunan at historikal na pagbabago. Sa kanyang pinagdaanan, nakabig ng buhay at kamatayan ng rebolusyonaryo ang puso ng mamamayan at kapwa rebolusyonaryo.

Ilang sandali raw bago paslangin si Che Guevara, tinanong ito ng isang sundalo kung iniisip na na niya ang kanyang imortalidad. Ang sagot ni Che, “Hindi, ang iniisip ko ay ang imortalidad ng rebolusyon.” Pinarangalan ang dangal ng buhay at kamatayan ni Ka Roger, na sa una’t huling usapin ay ang dangal ng buhay at kamatayan sa kilusang rebolusyonaryo.

Mula sa:
http://pinoyweekly.org/new/2011/10/parangal-na-may-dangal/

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‘Ka Roger leaves perpetual flame to hearts and minds of urban revolutionaries!’--- CPP-MMRPC

CPP - Metro Manila Regional Party Committee
October 18, 2011

The Communist Party of the Philippines-Metro Manila Regional Party Committee (CPP-MMRPC) joins the entire revolutionary movement in mourning to the death of CPP and New People’s Army (NPA) spokesperson, Gregorio ‘Ka Roger’ Rosal. The entire ranks of revolutionaries, activists and mass members of various formations in Metro Manila send our highest salute to Ka Roger’s unwavering service to the oppressed and to the revolutionary movement in the past four decades.

During our close encounter with the late revolutionary leader during a regional Party conference inside an NPA camp at the Southern Tagalog region in time of the fulfilment of our organization’s rectification movement on 1998, we had the chance to see the soft side of the great strong warrior. We witness how Ka Roger is strongly attached to peasants and comrades in the area in just a short span of time when he warmly hosted the said meeting.

As an icon of modesty, Ka Roger remains to be jolly, sensitive to the feelings of his colleagues and approachable to all despite being a high-ranking official of the revolutionary movement. Ka Roger never fails to accomplish his duty to be on the side of the oppressed to air their sentiments and to be the mortal enemy of imperialism and local oppressors to frustrate their anti-people policies.

His selfless and undying commitment to the revolution leaves perpetual flame to hearts and minds of urban revolutionaries. This flame that weakened the oppressors and had shed light to the path of the working class for genuine social transformation will remain and will burn even brighter as the days of landlords and bourgeoisie compradors are being numbered.

Manifestation of the gained trust and sympathy of Ka Roger not just to elements of the revolutionary movement but also to broadest number of middle class includes his mass appeal to members of the media and to students which make his death a trending topic on Twitter and other social networking sites. This only recognizes the cause of Ka Roger and influence of the Party’s 43 years of uninterrupted revolution.

In response to his death, we call on all our members to further intensify the people’s struggle against the present US-puppet regime of Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Ka Roger will serve as inspiration to us in Metro Manila to join and accelerate the people’s war in the countryside that will bring the national democratic revolution in to a new and higher phase onwards socialism.

We will strive harder to do our share in accomplishingthe two major responsibilities of the urban mass movement in the people’s democratic struggle:

First, we will exhaust all possible means to strengthen the urban mass movement in forms of bigger street protests against the war being waged by the US-Aquino regime to the oppressed sectors on urban areas and centres including massive demolition scheme on urban poor; labor flexibilization and contractualization schemes on the working sector; slash on education and health subsidy for Filipino students and people; among others. In order for us to attain this task of mobilizing the critical mass on the street parliament, we must live through the teaching and practices of Ka Roger to arouse and organize the people decisively.

Secondly, the CPP-MMRPC calls on its members to actively support the armed revolution in the countryside in forms of massive deployment of educated youth and workers to become red fighters and join the NPA.Having thousands of urban revolutionaries enlisting to be part of the revolutionary armed forces of the people for the protracted people’s war will result to forging further unity of the peasantry and the working class.Other forms of support to the armed struggle on rural areas will also be welcomed.

Finally, the entire national democratic movement offers the looming victory of the revolution in the couple of years from now to Ka Roger and to all other martyrs of the Filipino people who selflessly devoted their lives for the interests of the peasant and the working class.
 

Fire It Up: Honoring Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal

“It honestly was beautifully done like trying to hide the daylight from the sun … It honestly was beautifully bold like trying to save an ice cube from the cold.”

And in her head, there is just no other way to describe the National Democratic Movement’s send-off to one of the greatest contemporary figures of the Philippine Revolution, Gregorio “Ka Roger Rosal” of the New People’s Army, except to offer those neat lines from the song Fire It Up by Modern Mouse. You don’t save the daylight from the sun, you don’t save an ice cube from the cold. That beautiful and brave tribute to Ka Roger seemed so effortless on the part of those who performed and participated. They delivered their laudatory speeches, twisted and turned their flexible dancing bodies, sang of the revolution, including two of Ka Roger’s original compositions and sat on their seats expecting for the next surprise as though they were doing the inevitable and the commonplace, as though they have spent their whole lives rehearsing for this moment.

She was with them as a matter of course.

T. grew up with and related to the name “Ka Roger” with distant fondness. Hearing his voice over the radio while being taught in school about the necessity of kicking out the U.S. bases or while waiting for his clever reply to an accusation thrown against his group at a time when the local news was featuring the capture of alleged communists in the airport have had made T.’s teenage life a little bit more relevant to the shape of the world as she sees it now with adult eyes. T. had always thought that there is hardly anything that would make her familiar to the child that she was if they were to meet on facebook. But Ka Roger’s death has brought back memories of her own parents who were sane enough to know that there was no way they could hide Martial Law from a little girl.

Back then it was as simple as being told that the NPAs are good people. That without them, the Marcos dictatorship will go on robbing everybody down to their last piece of plastic pale (because where she grew up, pales were so big as water was scarce). Except for this one time that she really got excited over a huge boycott sign on their gate, she never really asked anyone of the adults in their household what they were up to. After all, they were all about her and her oratorical pieces (“I may be able to speak the languages of man or even of angels but if I have no love by St. Paul) and favorite songs (Matayog ang lipad ng saranggola ni Pepe, matayog ang pangarap ng matandang bingi and You fill up senses like a night in the forest…). They never really explained what boycott meant. All she remembers is that on the day of the snap elections, her parents left home and promised to be back soon from the voting precinct.

There was one adult though who trusted her enough with her preferences—Ate Jobel. She was to be known by the neighbours as her baby brother’s new yaya. Live to Tell by Madonna was her favorite song. T. felt like they were friends so buying a lyrics magazine/songhits was in order. T. went through the lyrics and concluded that pregnancy was Jobel’s secret. The latter laughed at this and hugged her as if she were about leave. So T. urgently asked for Jobel’s surname for posterity. “ Balbacua.” She did not believe her. Worse, she felt betrayed by a situation where an adult is lying through her teeth about her surname, and to a child! So the next question which she asked with full entitlement and cleverness was communist ka ba? All she remembers by now is how Jobel said it meant “the commons, to be common.” And so then she bargained for another deal. If you tell me about your secret, I shall keep it. And as she wished, she was told: If you become a communist when you grow up, we shall triumph.

Now that T. is all grown up, even older than Jobel who stayed forever young in her head, she couldn’t help but try to see Ka Roger’s life the way the man had probably seen it. She concludes with the insight of a Filipino worker and union organizer. However good or bad Ka Roger is in people’s eyes, what is important is what he was in his own:

Long before he died, he saw himself standing by the historical greatness of labor and struggle, he saw himself refusing to suck up to the guardians of this system, he saw himself unwilling to accumulate material things for this meant obsessing with money, which only those who rebel like him will not need to make for themselves, not for the banks, not even for their children. He was faithful to how he saw himself. Very few people die with this vision.

To the astounding and humbling legacy of Ka Roger, T. can only offer what back then was a secret and a promise that she was supposed to keep.

--- From the Facebook wall of Sarah Raymundo

link to Modest Mouse's Fire It Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6DjyXQl7L8

lyrics to Madonna's Live To Tell: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/m/madonna/live+to+tell_20086969.html

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