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In prison Randy endeared himself to all by consoling distraught fellow prisoners, volunteering to write letters and conduct literary programs for the illiterate inmates, organizing medical missions and sports fests, and acting as paralegal, among others. He readily shared his food, medicines, even electric fans and reading materials to all fellow prisoners. As the most learned and erudite of all the prisoners he was the instant choice whenever they were dignitaries or groups of students who visit the jail. He engaged the prison authorities on how improve the conditions inside the facility. In both the Tuguegarao and Ilagan jails he was elected prison governor by the inmates.

By RAYMUND B. VILLANUEVA
Kodao Productions

Randy Felix Malayao was born to a local Department of Interior and Local Government official and a homemaker in the old town of San Pablo, Isabela. He was the youngest in the family.

As a pupil and student Randy was consistently at the top of his class and was always a winner in district and provincial school contests. After graduating as valedictorian of Minanga Elementary School, he took his secondary studies at the Isabela State University Science High School. He passed the University of the Philippines College Admission Test and was first enrolled at university’s Diliman campus. He later transferred to UP in the Visayas-Miag-Ao to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Fishery degree. He graduated in 1992.

In Miag-Ao, Randy became a member of the Beta Sigma Fraternity and was also the founding chairperson of the League of Filipino Students-UP Miag-Ao Chapter. In his senior year he assumed the chief editorship of Ang Mangingisda, the official student publication.

Among fellow students in Iloilo Randy was known as an elder brother, letting them stay in his rented apartment in Iloilo City and letting them use his personal computer for free. Randy was among the first students to own such a gadget in the entire province. He helped everyone who sought his assistance in writing theses and academic papers.

In 1991 Randy was elected vice president for Visayas of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines. He took to his tasks like fish in the water, recruiting the most number of member publications in the entire history of the Guild in the Visayas during his term. He revived campus publications where they were previously clamped; established where there were none. He made them all active as he led them through many campaigns, ranging from education issues to peoples’ concerns.

In 1993 Randy stood as the lone candidate for the national presidency of the CEGP. The CEGP congress was declared as a failure, however, due to some confusion in the election process and Randy reassumed the vice presidency on a hold-over capacity.

In 1994 Randy travelled to Mindanao as one of the organizers of CEGP’s congress and convention. Thereafter, he left the Visayas to work full time as a CEGP national office staff.

After many years as a student leader and organizer Randy felt it was time to put his academic training in the service of peasants in his home region of Cagayan Valley. He started helping various peasant and community organizations in Region 2 by conducting seminars on economic, political and other human rights.

Randy was subsequently accused as one of the masterminds in the killing of notorious Martial Law human rights violator and former congressman and governor Rodolfo Aquinaldo. Fearing for his life Randy started making himself scarce, even among friends and family. But he never wavered in his commitment to help the marginalized sectors of Cagayan Valley region.

On May 15, 2008, Randy was abducted by members of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines while on his way to a home of a friend in Cainta, Rizal. He was blindfolded for four days as he was made to suffer many forms of physical and psychological torture. Despite severe pain and mortifying fear for the safety of his loved ones Randy refused to tell lies his torturers want him to say to save himself. Such was the severity of his torture that he was unaware he was driven from Metro Manila to his home province of Isabela (more than 400 kilometers away) where he was surfaced by the 5th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army nearly five days after his abduction.

After he was surfaced by the Philippine Army Randy was taken to the Tuguegarao City Jail in Cagayan Province to be charged with the murder of Aguinaldo and other persons. It is notable that in all charges filed against him Randy’s name has been a late addition. In mid 2010 Randy was found innocent of the Aguinaldo murder charge. He was then transferred to the Ilagan District Jail to face the other murder and frustrated murder charges against him.

In prison Randy endeared himself to all by consoling distraught fellow prisoners, volunteering to write letters and conduct literary programs for the illiterate inmates, organizing medical missions and sports fests, and acting as paralegal, among others. He readily shared his food, medicines, even electric fans and reading materials to all fellow prisoners. As the most learned and erudite of all the prisoners he was the instant choice whenever they were dignitaries or groups of students who visit the jail. He engaged the prison authorities on how improve the conditions inside the facility. In both the Tuguegarao and Ilagan jails he was elected prison governor by the inmates.

A few days after his surfacing in 2008, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines Negotiation Panel formally announced that Randy is a consultant to the peace talks with the Government of the Philippines. As such, the NDFP said, Randy is protected by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees of 1995 and should be immune from arrest and torture. The NDFP maintains to this day that Randy should be released under JASIG and all charges against him be dropped.

*The article was first published on Dec. 2, 2011 by Pinoy Weekly with the following url: http://pinoyweekly.org/new/2011/12/randy-malayao-campus-journalist-and-fisher-of-men/

Malayao was killed by a gunman at 2:30 a.m. today while sleeping inside a bus.

The post Randy Malayao: Campus journalist and ‘fisher of men’* appeared first on Bulatlat.

High profile National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randy Felix P. Malayao was gunned to death inside a bus in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya at 2:30 this morning.

A source close to the victim’s family called Kodao to break the news.

Malayao’s ride was at a bus stop when the gunman reportedly climbed aboard, approached the sleeping victim and shot him. He was killed on the spot.

Before President Rodrigo Duterte cancelled peace talks with the NDFP, Malayao attended formal peace negotiations in Europe as a consultant from Cagayan Valley. He also acted as one of the spokespersons of the NDFP Negotiating Panel in Europe.

Police recovered his document of identification, proving he was covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig), an agreement signed by both parties providing protection to all those involved in the peace talks.

Abroad and in the Philippines, Malayao represented the NDFP in peace forums, along with Government of the Republic of the Philippines negotiators such as Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Atty. Angela Librado Trinidad and others.

Unlike most other NDFP peace consultants, Malayao had no criminal charges before government courts, which allowed him to freely move around the country to attend peace-related activities.

Malayao was a former political prisoner who was abducted and heavily tortured under the Gloria M. Arroyo regime.

He spent more than four years in jails in Cagayan and Isabela provinces and was freed after he had been acquitted of charges against him.

Bello served as his one-time legal counsel during his court trials.

In his student days, Malayao was credited for reinvigorating student organizations throughout the Visayas.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Fisheries degree from the University of the Philippines in the Visayas-Miag-Ao in the early 1990s.

In his senior year, he was editor in chief of Ang Mangingisda, the official student publication of his college.
As an NDFP peace consultant, Malayao is a holder of a NDFP-GRP Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees identification card that should have given him immunity from arrest, harassment and attacks.

He was also a columnist of the Baguio City-based newspaper Northern Dispatch. 

The post NDFP peace consultant Randy Malayao killed appeared first on Bulatlat.

Datu Jomorito Goaynon is the chairperson of Kalumbay Regional Lumad Organization while Ireneo Ubarde is the chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)-Northern Mindanao Region.

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Two leaders who went missing since the morning of Jan. 28 were now surfaced by the authorities as “top New People’s Army leaders.”

According to the statement of the authorities posted by the local newspaper, Sun Star Cagayan De Oro, “joint police and military authorities arrested Ereneo Ubarde and Jomoring Goaynon both top NPA leaders Monday in downtown Cagayan de Oro after a local court issued order for their arrest.” 

Datu Jomorito Goaynon is the chairperson of Kalumbay Regional Lumad Organization while Ireneo Ubarde is the chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)-Northern Mindanao Region. The two were on their way to a meeting with Pig-uyonan, a member organization of Kalumbay on Monday morning, Jan. 28 however they never got to the meeting place.

In an urgent alert released by Kalumbay yesterday, the two left their office in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro at past 10:00 a.m. They were scheduled to have a dialogue with the 65th Infantry Battalion, facilitated by the Commission on Human Rights.

At 11:00 a.m. while commuting to the venue, the two were still able to communicate with a Kalumbay staff to inform the latter that they were stuck in traffic. However, the two did not reach the meeting place and none of their friends, colleagues and relatives heard from them afterwards.

After over 24 hours, the two were surfaced by the authorities this afternoon, Jan. 29, in a press conference by the Philippine National Police Region 10. According to the police, Judge Emmanuel P. Pasal of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 38 in Cagayan de Oro City issued a warrant of arrest against the two leaders for cases of attempted murder, frustrated murder illegal, possession of firearms and explosives. They will undergo inquest proceedings.  

KMP secretary general Antonio Flores denounced the illegal arrest and detention of the two leaders who are out on bail after their arrest in July 2018 along with church workers and rights activists. 

“Under martial law, the Duterte regime’s state security forces are committing grave and blatant violations of the people’s socio-economic and cultural rights, civil and political rights, and the rights of persons in the midst of armed conflict in Northern Mindanao,” said Flores in a statement.

Prior to this, Kalumbay said a tarpaulin with Goaynon’s photo was displayed in public places accusing him of recruiting Lumad to the New People’s Army. This prompted Goaynon to file harassment and forced surrender charges against the 65th IB at the Commission on Human Rights last Jan. 22.  

“There is blanket repression that target entire rural communities and zero-in on individuals affiliated to various people’s organization,” Danilo Ramos, chairperson of KMP said. They demanded the immediate release of the two leaders.  

The KMP said the two leaders are in the frontline of the peasant and indigenous people’s campaigns against militarization and human rights violations in Northern Mindanao region.

They said the arrest and charges against Goaynon and Ubarde as the government’s way to silence those who fight for their right to land.  

“Violations of rights of the people of Northern Mindanao, especially farmers and national minorities, are committed by state forces with the direct motive of silencing their struggle for land, ancestral domain and right to self-determination. Military force and deployment in communities are clearly used to pursue the interests of corporate plantations and other forms of environmental plunder,” said Ramos.

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