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Luis Jalandoni, towering figure in PH communist movement, dies at 90
Luis Jalandoni, towering figure in PH communist movement, dies at 90
Former National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) chief negotiator Luis “Ka Louie” Jalandoni has died at the age of 90 while in self-exile in Utrecht, The Netherlands on Saturday, June 7, according to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Ka Louie Jalandoni, beloved by the masses, a true internationalist, revolutionary leader, and stalwart of peace,” the CPP said in a statement.
Jalandoni “passed away peacefully” at around 9:05 a.m. in Utrecht (3:05 p.m. Philippine time) while surrounded by his comrades, wife Maria Consuelo “Ka Coni”, and family, the group added. The CPP did not reveal the cause of Jalandoni's death.
His death came after the passing of similarly known figures in the revolutionary movement, CPP founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison in 2020 and NDFP peace negotiating panel chairman Fidel Agcaoili in 2020.
“The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines expresses its condolences to Ka Louie’s family, whose love, strength, and support accompanied him through decades of service to the Filipino people’s revolutionary cause,” the CPP said.
Jalandoni was born into a family of big landlords and sugar barons in Negros Island on February 26, 1935.
Before being a rebel negotiator, Jalandoni became a Catholic priest and he actively participated in “Church to the Barrios” program where he led initiatives in neglected rural communities.
In 1972, he founded the Christians for National Liberation (CNL), leading progressive-minded religious workers in resisting the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. In the same year, he joined the CPP while the CNL became one of the founding allied organizations of the NDFP in 1973.
Jalandoni and his wife were arrested and detained at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City in 1973 while the country was under martial law. They were released a year later, and immediately resumed revolutionary work.
In 1976, Jalandoni and his wife went abroad where they sought and granted political asylum in the Netherlands. From exile, he worked in building support for the Philippine revolution.
Jalandoni was formally designated as the chief negotiator of the NDFP in peace negotiations with the Philippine government in 1989, and served as the NDFP chairman until 2016.
But the peace talks with various presidents never materialized.
In 2023, under the administration of President Marcos Jr., the Philippine government, through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), and the NDFP signed the Oslo Joint Communique in Oslo, Norway - reviving the peace negotiations after a series of back-channeling and exploratory talks.
The agreement sought to end the government’s armed conflict with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA), and political wing NDFP.
“We express our deepest gratitude to Ka Louie Jalandoni for dedicating his life to the Filipino people, to the National Democratic Front, and to the Communist Party of the Philippines,” the CPP said.
“We will forever cherish the immense contributions he made in advancing the people’s struggle for national and social liberation. As we mourn his passing, we firmly vow to carry forward his legacy of selfless service, boundless humility, revolutionary integrity, and commitment to waging the people’s democratic revolution until final victory is won,” it added.