NDFP Renders Honor to Fr. Dave Albano, Founding Member of the Christians for National Liberation

Ka Dave Albano was among the founding members of the Christians for National Liberation (CNL). The founding members decided to launch the CNL on the 100th anniversary of the martyrdom of Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora on February 17, 1972. Among the founding members were Fr. Dave Albano, Deacon Carlos Tayag and Purificacion Pedro.

It was a time of the intensifying mass movement all over the country, following the 1970 First Quarter Storm. The Christian sector was also increasingly being politicalized, with rank and file clergy, pastors, deacons and women Church people getting involved in taking up the fundamental issues of the oppressed and exploited masses.

Fr. Dave Albano was a Benedictine priest and Ka Carlos “Caloy” Tayag was a Benedictine deacon. Both did a lot of work in politicalizing Church people. Ka Puri Pedro was a highly respected Church worker who helped with the exposure and visits of foreign Church people to the peasant and workser masses in varous parts of the country.

A few years after the declaration of martial law, Ka Dave Albano and Ka Caloy Tayag, agreed to be assigned to the countryside.

Ka Caloy Tayag was prevented by Marcos’ killers. He was involuntarily “disappeared” on August 17, 1976. Ka Purificacion Pedro was tortured and extrajudically killed by notorious killer and torturer, Col. Miguel Aure, in January 1975.

Ka Dave Albano integrated with the peasants and Red fighters in the Cordillera region. He immersed himself with the peasants and was deeply loved by them. During the years he spent there, he wrote poems and articles about the fighting masses. This was published in the book, “Clearings” under his revolutionary name, Jason Montana.

After his years of revolutionary work in the Cordillera, Ka Dave Albano decided to continue his work as a priest. He tirelessly served the interests and welfare of the farmers in Isabela and Cagayan Valley. He supported their struggles for land and called for a stop to militarization. He continued to politicalize the peasants for the national democratic cause.

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines renders honors to Ka Dave Albano as one of the founders of the Christians for National Liberation, as a revolutionary who served the masses in the Cordillera region, and finally as a priest who tirelessly served the peasants in Isabela and Cagayan Valley.

We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and relatives, his colleagues, and the peasant masses he served.

Long live the revolutionary legacy of Ka Dave Albano!
Long live the Filipino people!

Luis G. Jalandoni
Member, National Executive Committee
National Democratic Front of the Philippines

Source: https://www.ndfp.org/ndfp-renders-honor-to-fr-dave-albano-founding-member-of-the-christians-for-national-liberation/