Slogans of revolution

Walking on my way to school, i saw a couple of messages sprayed on the wall that merited my interest. Slogans normally written in red with the organization's signature were presented differently. What made me smile was that while the message remained the same, the undersigned was an individual's name and it was painted in a more creative and personal way. Normally, it is the organization's name that would be assigned but here, it was very personal, and actually, cute.

Si Ka Juanito Itaas

I first met Juanito Itaas during one of the immersion weekends required for our third year students at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City. His daughter is a scholar of our school’s partner institution and his family would normally adopt one of our students to experience community life.

Juanito Itaas is convicted for the death of Colonel James Rowe, a high ranking American military officer gunned down by alleged New Peoples Army (NPA), the armed group of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in 1989.

Juanito Itaas is very unassuming and soft spoken. While his name might generate reverential awe among activists from generation 90s as a fierce and determined people’s warrior, his mild and gentle ways reflects the humility that I think each and everyone must possess in serving the people. His story has been retold time and again in the discussion groups among activists, in the debates among human rights lawyers, and I guess, even up to the top echelons of the Philippine military.

He has been in jail for almost twenty years and I heard that if not for the United States’ pressure on the Philippine Government he would have been freed already like his co-accused in the case.

Here is a link of an interview with Juanito published February 2007.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/feb/08/yehey/top_stories/20070208top6.html

Juanito Itaas, just like the majority of the Filipino people, is a victim of social injustice and I hope that he gets the freedom he truly deserve and continue his quest for a more humane and just society.

Free Juanito Itaas and all Political Prisoners!

Uphold Human Rights!