The Escalante Community of the Order of Carmelites in the Philippines celebrated the life of the 20 martyrs of the Escalante Massacre with a mass at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish presided over by Fr. Harry Bloem, O.Carm. together with other priests.
The 20 who died in the massacre are William Alegre, Michael Dayanan, Rodney Demegilio, Rovena Franco, Juvelyn Jaravello, Alex Labatos, Angelina Lape, Norberto Locanilao, Rodolfo Mahinay, Rogelio Magellan Jr, Claro Monares, Maria Luz Mondejar, Rodolfo Montealto, Aniano Ornopia, Nenita Orot, Edgardo Salili, Ronilo Santa Ana, Juanito Suarez Jr, Manuel Tan, and Caesar Tejones.
They were part of a protest against the despotic Marcos dictatorship. The protesters were shouting “Bugas indi bala” (Rice not bullets) when they were shot at by state forces. Together with the 20 who died, hundreds were injured.
The incident attracted international attention highlighting the atrocities of the Marcos dictatorship.
The names of the victims are etched in the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City. For more information on the victims of the Escalante Massacre, visit the website of Bantayog ng mga Bayani. (Text by Br. Ritche T. Salgado, O.Carm. Photo from Carmel Youth – Escalante)