Groups commemorate Escalante Massacre anniversary in Negros

BACOLOD CITY—Progressive groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Negros and the Mothers and Relatives of Victims of Tyranny (Martyrs) marked the 41st anniversary of the Escalante Massacre in Negros Occidental on Sunday, paying tribute to the 20 civilians who were killed during the 1985 protest.

The victims were killed on Sept. 20, 1985, when Philippine Constabulary forces and paramilitary units opened fire on participants in a peaceful Welgang Bayan (People’s Strike) calling for an end to the Marcos dictatorship, the groups said in a press statement.

The dispersal also left hundreds of people injured in front of the town center, they said.

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READ: Escalante massacre survivor latest victim of Negros killings

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Bayan and Martyrs lamented that traditional street reenactments of the massacre were prohibited in Escalante, particularly near the Taas-Kamao Monument, which was erected in memory of the fallen protesters.

The groups said the socioeconomic conditions that fueled the 1985 protest, including widespread poverty, low wages among sugar plantation workers, and the continuing crisis in the sugar industry, persist in Negros.

They called for accountability, saying full justice remains elusive as democratic rights and the right to organize continue to face pressure under current government policies.

“Justice is long overdue for those who were responsible for the carnage,” the groups said.

The progressive organizations vowed to continue holding annual commemorations, saying the victims’ memory must be preserved and democratic freedoms defended through continued public action. /mcm