The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) announced the passing of Ka Louie Jalandoni on June 7, 2025, at the age of 90. His death marks the end of a truly remarkable revolutionary life. A life that has left an indelible imprint on the Filipino people’s struggle for national liberation and genuine democracy.
For over five decades, Ka Louie stood firm in the service of the masses—building and strengthening revolutionary organizations, advancing the armed struggle, and tirelessly pursuing just peace through principled negotiations.
Born on February 26, 1935, into a wealthy family of landlords and sugar barons in Silay, Negros Occidental, he could have easily chosen a life of comfort and privilege. Instead, he chose the revolutionary path. His early involvement in the Church’s “preferential option for the poor” drew him closer to the lives and struggles of sugar workers in Negros. As a Catholic priest, he worked in neglected rural barrios, witnessing firsthand the poverty, exploitation, and brutality that defined the semi-feudal system.
In one telling incident, he was shot at by armed goons while negotiating on behalf of striking sugar workers in Bais, Negros Oriental. Sacadas (migrant sugar workers) from Antique recall how “Fr. Louie Jalandoni” would patiently teach them about their rights before they were deployed to sugar plantations. These experiences shaped his political consciousness and deepened his commitment both as a shepherd of faith as well as a servant of the revolution.
In 1972, Ka Louie was instrumental in founding Christians for National Liberation (CNL), mobilizing progressive religious workers against the fascist dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. In 1974, he married Ka Coni Ledesma, a fellow revolutionary and former nun. Their union was officiated by Archbishop Jaime Sin and it symbolized a partnership built on shared conviction and unwavering commitment to the poor.
Ka Louie and Ka Coni were arrested and detained at Fort Bonifacio in 1973. He was held in a dark, windowless cell with several others for nearly a year. A global campaign led by religious and human rights organizations forced the regime to release them in July 1974. Undeterred, Ka Louie immediately resumed revolutionary work. He helped organize the historic 1975 La Tondeña strike in Manila, the first major labor strike under martial law. It pierced the climate of fear and marked the resurgence of mass resistance in the Marcos era.
In 1976, Ka Louie went abroad to lead international work for the CPP and expose the regime’s crimes. With death threats looming and persecution imminent, he and Ka Coni sought political asylum in the Netherlands, the first Filipinos to do so. In 1977, he was officially appointed International Representative of the NDFP. He was instrumental in organizing the People’s Permanent Tribunal on the Philippines in 1980, which exposed the Marcos regime’s crimes and affirmed the NDFP as the genuine representative of the Filipino people. Through decades of international work, he forged bonds with foreign governments, revolutionary parties, solidarity networks, and peace advocates, amplifying the voice of the Filipino masses across the globe.
In 1989, Ka Louie was assigned as the NDFP’s Chief Peace Negotiator. He led countless rounds of talks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), always guided by the principle that peace cannot be achieved without addressing the roots of the armed conflict: landlessness, exploitation, and imperialist domination. His role in the peace process was never one of compromise, but of principled engagement rooted in the aspirations of the oppressed.
Long live the revolutionary legacy of Ka Louie Jalandoni!
