Crispin Beltran
Encyclopedia
Crispin 'Ka Bel' Beltran (January 7, 1933 – May 20, 2008) was a Filipino
politician and a labor leader. A staunch critic of President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
, his imprisonment in 2006 and 2007 on disputed charges of rebellion and sedition drew international attention. As a member of 13th Congress of the Philippines
with the Anakpawis
or the 'Toiling Masses Partylist' and former chair of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), a militant and progressive labor movement, he was a major figure in contemporary Filipino history.
In August 1982 to 1984, he was arrested and detained at Camp Crame
, Quezon City
, and his 10 children lived on his small earnings from selling rubber slippers and selling fish in the market. Osang delivered his speeches at rallies, and eventually did volunteer work at the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines.
In 1984, when KMU president Felixberto Olalia died of pneumonia
in his detention cell, Ka Osang successfully planned a daring escape plan amid his kidney
ailment, but he endured blows, punches and kicks from his guards. Beltran became a fugitive of justice in Central Luzon, and was protected by insurgents.
In 1986 President Corazon Aquino
ordered the release of Beltran and of all political prisoners. He joined the party-list elections as a second nominee of Bayan Muna in 2001 and won a seat in the House of Representatives. He won a second term in 2004 and a third term in 2007 as Anakpawis
representative.
Beltran joined the Kilusang Mayo Uno in 1955. He became the Chairperson of the organization in 1986 following the murder of Rolando Olalia. From 1993 to 1999, Beltran was the Chairperson of BAYAN
.
was declared by President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He was charged with inciting to sedition. He was subsequently implicated in an alleged plot to overthrow the government of Arroyo.
An international campaign was organized calling for the immediate release of Beltran. One group, the 'Free Ka Bel Movement' has local chapters in Southern Tagalog, Davao and Cebu and international chapters in Hong Kong, Japan, US, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. Some 99 parliamentarians from across the world supported the release of Crispin Beltran coming from 11 countries and 13 parliaments, including the Netherlands, Cambodia, Burma, New Zealand, Belgium, Chile, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the European Parliament, Switzerland, Denmark, and the Flemish Parliament. Beltran also drew support from Keith Locke
, MP, Foreign Affairs Critic of the Green Party
of New Zealand
.
Beltran remained in detention until June 2007, when the Supreme Court of the Philippines
voided the charges against Beltran and several other leaders affiliated with leftist groups.
On January 4, 2008, Beltran filed House Resolution 299 with the House of Representatives of the Philippines
to investigate the murders and harassment of trade union / labor leaders in the Philippines. He cited the 2007 annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations of the International Trade Union Confederation
: "33 of the total 144 cases of trade union killings worldwide happened in the Philippines; and 800 cases of beatings and torture of trade unionists in the country."
Beltran was hurt in a vehicular accident in October 2007 in Intramuros
, Manila
, when hisToyota Hi-Ace van was rammed by a Ford Everest
sports utility vehicle. Beltran was at the Philippine General Hospital after having lacerations on his left eye and suffered nosebleed.
driver Beltran first met then 15-year old Rosario “Ka Osang” Soto (now 68) on November 10, 1956, after she cut classes and left her grandmother at Quiapo
. Beltan drove Osang in his taxicab to his San Juan boarding house, and after 3 days thereat, her furious father beat up Beltran in front of her, and brought him to the San Juan municipal jail. Eventually, they had to get married, and had 10 children.
Beltran was a cabbie by day and University of the Philippines
’ Asian Labor Education Center student by night.
home, which he had been repairing. He sustained severe head injuries and was declared dead at 11:48 a.m. by attending physicians at the Far Eastern University
hospital., aged 75. He was survived by his wife Rosario, with whom he had eleven children.
Upon his death, Beltran was lauded by his colleagues in the labor sector as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine labor". Malacañang Palace
also released a statement through a spokesperson calling Beltran "one of the most respected labor leaders in the country" and a "vital figure" in Philippine labor.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
politician and a labor leader. A staunch critic of President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
, his imprisonment in 2006 and 2007 on disputed charges of rebellion and sedition drew international attention. As a member of 13th Congress of the Philippines
13th Congress of the Philippines
The Thirteenth Congress of the Philippines was the meeting of the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines, composed of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives...
with the Anakpawis
Anakpawis
Anakpawis is a party-list in the Philippines. The party-list is the electoral wing of the radical trade union movement Kilusang Mayo Uno.In the 2004 elections for the House of Representatives the party-list obtained 538,396 votes and two seats...
or the 'Toiling Masses Partylist' and former chair of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), a militant and progressive labor movement, he was a major figure in contemporary Filipino history.
Labor leader
Beltran began his labor career in his 20s when he served as the president of the Yellow Taxi Drivers’ Union and the Amalgamated Taxi Drivers Federation from 1955 to 1963. He served as vice administrator of the Confederation of Labor Unions of the Philippines and was vice president of the Philippine Alliance of Nationalist Organizations from 1963 to 1972.In August 1982 to 1984, he was arrested and detained at Camp Crame
Camp Crame
Camp Crame is the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police and is located in along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City...
, Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, and his 10 children lived on his small earnings from selling rubber slippers and selling fish in the market. Osang delivered his speeches at rallies, and eventually did volunteer work at the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines.
In 1984, when KMU president Felixberto Olalia died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in his detention cell, Ka Osang successfully planned a daring escape plan amid his kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
ailment, but he endured blows, punches and kicks from his guards. Beltran became a fugitive of justice in Central Luzon, and was protected by insurgents.
In 1986 President Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
ordered the release of Beltran and of all political prisoners. He joined the party-list elections as a second nominee of Bayan Muna in 2001 and won a seat in the House of Representatives. He won a second term in 2004 and a third term in 2007 as Anakpawis
Anakpawis
Anakpawis is a party-list in the Philippines. The party-list is the electoral wing of the radical trade union movement Kilusang Mayo Uno.In the 2004 elections for the House of Representatives the party-list obtained 538,396 votes and two seats...
representative.
Beltran joined the Kilusang Mayo Uno in 1955. He became the Chairperson of the organization in 1986 following the murder of Rolando Olalia. From 1993 to 1999, Beltran was the Chairperson of BAYAN
BAYAN
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or Bayan is a leftist political coalition in the Philippines. Bayan is associated with political parties Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, Gabriela Women's party, and Kabataan...
.
Detention and release
On February 25, 2006, Beltran was arrested shortly after a state of emergency2006 state of emergency in the Philippines
The Philippines was under a state of emergency, announced by presidential spokesperson Ignacio Bunye on the morning of February 24, 2006, by the virtue of Proclamation No. 1017. This occurred after the government claimed that it foiled an alleged coup d'état attempt against the administration of...
was declared by President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He was charged with inciting to sedition. He was subsequently implicated in an alleged plot to overthrow the government of Arroyo.
An international campaign was organized calling for the immediate release of Beltran. One group, the 'Free Ka Bel Movement' has local chapters in Southern Tagalog, Davao and Cebu and international chapters in Hong Kong, Japan, US, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. Some 99 parliamentarians from across the world supported the release of Crispin Beltran coming from 11 countries and 13 parliaments, including the Netherlands, Cambodia, Burma, New Zealand, Belgium, Chile, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the European Parliament, Switzerland, Denmark, and the Flemish Parliament. Beltran also drew support from Keith Locke
Keith Locke
Keith James Locke is a current New Zealand MP representing the Green Party who was first elected to parliament in 1999. he is the Green Party spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Defence, Ethnic Affairs, Pacific Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration, Police and Auckland Transport...
, MP, Foreign Affairs Critic of the Green Party
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Beltran remained in detention until June 2007, when the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
voided the charges against Beltran and several other leaders affiliated with leftist groups.
On January 4, 2008, Beltran filed House Resolution 299 with the House of Representatives of the Philippines
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
to investigate the murders and harassment of trade union / labor leaders in the Philippines. He cited the 2007 annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations of the International Trade Union Confederation
International Trade Union Confederation
The International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...
: "33 of the total 144 cases of trade union killings worldwide happened in the Philippines; and 800 cases of beatings and torture of trade unionists in the country."
Beltran was hurt in a vehicular accident in October 2007 in Intramuros
Intramuros
Intramuros is the oldest district in the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila, the seat ot the government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros,...
, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, when hisToyota Hi-Ace van was rammed by a Ford Everest
Ford Everest
The Ford Everest is a midsize SUV produced by Ford since 2003. Everest is a five-door wagon variant of the Ford Ranger four-door utility. The Everest is known as the Ford Endeavour in the Indian market....
sports utility vehicle. Beltran was at the Philippine General Hospital after having lacerations on his left eye and suffered nosebleed.
Personal life and education
26 year old taxiTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver Beltran first met then 15-year old Rosario “Ka Osang” Soto (now 68) on November 10, 1956, after she cut classes and left her grandmother at Quiapo
Quiapo, Manila
Quiapo is a district and city square of Manila. Referred as the "Old Downtown", Quiapo in known for where cheap buys or goods are being sold at rock-bottom prices and was the home of the Quiapo Church, where the feast for the Black Nazarene is held, with over millions of people attending...
. Beltan drove Osang in his taxicab to his San Juan boarding house, and after 3 days thereat, her furious father beat up Beltran in front of her, and brought him to the San Juan municipal jail. Eventually, they had to get married, and had 10 children.
Beltran was a cabbie by day and University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
’ Asian Labor Education Center student by night.
Death
On May 20, 2008, Beltran fell 14 feet from the roof of his BulacanBulacan
Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...
home, which he had been repairing. He sustained severe head injuries and was declared dead at 11:48 a.m. by attending physicians at the Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University in the University Belt area, West Sampaloc, City of Manila, is a nonsectarian, private university in the Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, FEU became a university in 1934 under the guidance of...
hospital., aged 75. He was survived by his wife Rosario, with whom he had eleven children.
Upon his death, Beltran was lauded by his colleagues in the labor sector as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine labor". Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace
The Malacañan Palace, commonly known simply as Malacañang, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines. Located at 1000 J. P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila, the house was built in 1750 in Spanish Colonial style. It has been the residence of every...
also released a statement through a spokesperson calling Beltran "one of the most respected labor leaders in the country" and a "vital figure" in Philippine labor.