Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) pays its highest tribute to Paul Rodriguez, Chair Emeritus of BAYAN Central Visayas, whose life was dedicated to the struggle for national freedom and democracy, human rights, and the welfare of the Filipino people.
A deeply religious man with an abiding concern for the poor and oppressed, Ka Paul was among those who courageously stood against the Marcos dictatorship in the late 1970s. Alongside Fr. Rudy Romano and other progressives, he helped lead the Coalition Against People’s Persecution (CAPP) and Nagkahiusang Sugbo Alang sa Demokrasya (NASUD), which brought together various sectors in Cebu to resist repression and fight for democratic rights.
Ka Paul was among the pioneering leaders who attended BAYAN’s founding congress in May 1985. He helped build and strengthen the broad people’s movement in Central Visayas, joining workers, drivers, farmers, urban poor, students, and other sectors in their struggles. He was a familiar and steadfast presence in protest actions in Cebu, from the dictatorship of Marcos Sr. to the administration of Rodrigo Duterte.
In 1987, he carried the people’s aspirations into the electoral arena as BAYAN’s supported candidate for Congress in Cebu City’s North District. Despite harassment, surveillance, and intense red tagging, he remained steadfast in his convictions. His campaign slogan, “Dili Malales Paul Rodriguez,” reflected his determination to uphold a platform rooted in the rights and interests of the oppressed amd marginalized people.
Even in his later years, Ka Paul remained one of the recognizable faces of the progressive movement in Cebu. Soft spoken yet sharp, articulate and dapper as always, he faithfully attended rallies and marches and took every opportunity to explain the people’s issues through radio interviews and public discussions. Only declining health could keep him from the front lines.
Ka Paul’s legacy lives on in the movement he helped build, in the generations of activists he educated and inspired, and in the continuing struggle for genuine freedom, democracy, and social justice.
BAYAN honors his courage, humility, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to the people. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, comrades, and all whose lives he touched.
Mabuhay si Ka Paul Rodriguez!
Mabuhay ang pakikibaka ng sambayanang Pilipino!