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| Source: InterAksyon.com |
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - He earned his spurs, so to speak, in the burgeoning of the protest movement against the Marcos dictatorship in the tumultuous wake of the assassination of former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. On September 4, 2014, the life he had dedicated to the cause of freedom and justice came to an end in a clash with the military under the presidency of Aquino's son and namesake, Benigno III or "Noynoy." Arnold Jaramillo, AJ to those who knew him well, was 47. It was clear from the time he joined protests against the closure of the University of the Philippines High School in Baguio -- soon after taking up BS Biology at UP Baguio -- that Jaramillo was no ordinary student activist. This was proven when he became the youngest representative in the multi-sectoral formations that cropped up in the country's summer capital after the Aquino assassination. A contemporary from those days but now based in Canada recalled that, already a leading personality in the Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral sa Baguio at Benguet (AMBBAG), which brought together various student councils, "AJ" was also active in Cordi-CORD, the Justice For Aquino, Justice for All movement, and the Cordillera People's Alliance, the regional chapter of the then fledgling Bagong Alyansang Makabayan. Leader and mentor AJ proved to be an eloquent public speaker who could explain in language understood by everyone the worsening socio-economic and political crises spawned by the brutal rule of Ferdinand Marcos and his minions. "Sa kagalingan niya ay napakilos nila ang mga estudyante hindi lang sa kanilang sektoral na karaingan kundi sa panlipunang problema (He was able to mobilize the students not only to act on their sectoral concerns but also on the problems confronting society," said a former UP classmate now based in Thailand. AJ continued to wield and hone his skills and knowledge in the youth and student movement, staying with the sector for a decade more. He proved crucial in the revival of the student movement in Baguio when it reached its nadir during the euphoria that followed the 1986 People Power uprising, which ended the dictatorship and brought Corazon Aquino, the widow of Ninoy and mother of the incumbent president, to power. These efforts bore fruit in 1988 when college students in Baguio poured into the city's streets to oppose increases in tuition and other school fees, the largest mobilization in the country at the time. "It was through his guidance that 18,000 students flooded the main streets of the city for our call against tuition and school fees increases," recalled lawyer Gina Alvarez, then the chair of the Baguio-Benguet chapter of the National Union of Students of the Philippines. Igorot student leaders at the time said he also became well-loved by activists in the Cordilleras when he clarified the issue of priest-turned-rebel Conrado Balweg's split from the New People's Army, and his call for the establishment of an independent nation impacted on the student movement in the region. Serve the people In 2000, AJ reached a turning point in his life -- he had come to believe that, to sow the seeds of a just society, radical change through armed struggle was necessary. He decided to become a Red Fighter, to live and work with the masses in the countryside. His wife acknowledges that it was a decision hard to accept, but one she understood for its "nobility." "How can I not give my support to a person who is so selfless, who was willing to give up a comfortable life to be with the masses whom he loved and had wanted to serve the most?" she asked. Indeed, AJ could have chosen a life of comfort, joining his family abroad, but, like many of the best and the brightest, he chose the path less traveled. Becoming known as "Ka Mando," AJ was eventually assigned to Abra, long acknowledged as a hotbed of political warlordism, and where a former rebel who served with him recalled: "We always found excuses not to talk with the local warlords and politicians." Yet, Ka Mando had a way of not only dealing with them but of actually "earning their respect for his leadership and the local NPA's positions on various issues." It was a lesson he worked hard to impart to his fellow guerrillas, his former comrade said. And then September 4 happened. The military announced the deaths of seven NPA fighters after a lengthy battle in Lacub, Abra: Arnold Jaramillo, who was described as secretary of the Communist Party of the Philippines in the province, Pedring Banggao, Robert Beyao, Brandon Magranga, Reica Noelle Monte, Robert Perez and Omme Reyes. Two civilians were also killed and another guerrilla was captured. Tribute Death did nothing to diminish the admiration and respect accorded to AJ, Ka Mando, by friends, comrades, and ordinary folk, who turned out to honor him and offer support for those he left behind during the eight-day wake, capped by a nightlong "Parangal" or tribute at UP Baguio. Even those who came not fully aware of what he fought for and why he did what he did went away more aware of the realities of Philippine society. One of AJ's UP Baguio professors summed up his tribute thus: "From my at least 10,000 students during my stint at UP, 50 percent of them chose public service. But only few were like AJ who unselfishly served freedom. "Every time I see the Oblation, I see AJ's face. He gave a face to the Oblation; he is the Oblation." And while she grieved his loss, his wife said: "They may have killed you, but more will follow your path as you gave them inspiration to continue what you and the other martyrs have sowed."
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