May 24, 2008
Bayani Abadilla: Hero of the Filipino People

Martial law years

Bonifacio Ilagan, contributing editor of Pinoy Weekly and himself an FQS activist, read the message of National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera. Lumbera said the national-democratic movement lost a faithful and determined comrade with Ka Bay’s death. Lumbera and Ka Bay worked together in Panulat para sa Kaunlaran ng Sambayanan or PAKSA which was formed in 1971.

Lumbera said that Ka Bay’s contributions were not limited to arts and literature. “Walang pagod ang kanyang paglilingkod sa sambayanan” (He tirelessly served the Filipino people.)

A message from the unit of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to which Ka Bay belonged was read. In the 1970s, Ka Bay was an organizer for the Kabataang Makabayan (KM) chapter in Manila. When martial law was declared, he went to the Cordillera region and joined the New People’s Army (NPA). He took on many tasks in organizing and propaganda work. He also wrote for Taliba ng Bayan, a revolutionary paper.