Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Revolutionary forces in the Philippines and abroad vehemently denounced the cold-blooded murder of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) official Julius Giron and his companions Dr. Ma. Lourdes Denero Tango and Arvie Alarcon Reyes, by Duterte security agents in the early morning hours of 13 March in Baguio City north of Manila. The three were sleeping and unarmed when they were gunned down by combined elements of the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). Giron and Dr. Tangco suffered up to seven gunshot wounds each, including several to the head. Reyes got four bullets to his chest.

In condemning the murders, the Communist Party of the Philippines said, “Giron’s blood is on Duterte’s hands. His assassination was carried out under Duterte’s war of suppression... his key security and military officials have long wanted to eliminate Giron who served as one of the Party’s leading cadres and principal peace consultant to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).”

NDFP allied organizations described the killing as a war crime. The Christians for National Liberation said, “these (killings) concretely prove the insincerity of autocrat Duterte in the peaceful resolution to the armed conflict.” Condemnations of the cold-blooded murders, as well as Red salutes for Giron, were also expressed abroad, including from the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany, Communist Party of Turkey – Marxist-Leninist and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Giron was 70 years old, suffering from infirmities of old age and already had difficulty keeping his balance. “Despite his advanced age,” the CPP said, “he remained ever the active revolutionary communist and one of the key leading cadres of the CPP. He was forever a student and teacher of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.” Giron was a member of the Party’s Central Committee, its Political Bureau and Executive Committee. He was also a senior consultant of the NDFP in peace talks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), entitling him to protection under the GRP-NDFP Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.CPP

Founding Chairman Prof. Jose Maria Sison, in paying tribute to Giron said, “The greatness of Comrade Julius as a revolutionary patriot and communist fighter will be amplified and will shine even brighter to inspire the current generation of the revolutionary cadres and masses and future generations to achieve the total victory of the people’s democratic revolution and proceed to the socialist revolution.”

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