PISTON pays the highest tribute and salute to Noel “Ka Felix” Bedonia Sr. and his son Noel “Ka Angel” Bedonia Jr., both revolutionaries and red fighters, martyrs of Central Luzon, and heroes of transport workers and the Filipino people.
The Bedonias were among the ten who perished in the encounter that took place in Brgy. Villarica, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija between the murderous forces of the 84th Infantry Battalion of the 71st Infantry Division – Philippine Army and the New People’s Army on June 26, 2024.
Noel “Ka Felix” Bedonia Sr. was born on October 25, 1972 in Magalona, Negros Occidental. Like many Filipinos from the peasant class in the countryside, Ka Noel ventured to Manila in search of better opportunities.
He worked in the transport sector upon arriving in Manila. His host recommended him to a soft drinks and beer delivery company, starting as a porter and helper. He later on learned how to drive his delivery truck. After learning, he immediately got a license and worked as a jeepney driver plying the Roces route.
He witnessed and heard rallies and speeches while driving along the Project 6 route. Although he had difficulty reading, he would request leaflets and patiently read and understand them. Whenever he had the chance, he would voluntarily join the rallies and even help distribute leaflets. It was through this active participation that he was first noticed and organized by PISTON.
Due to his fervor in taking action, Ka Noel decided to become a full-time organizer for PISTON and lived with his family in the PISTON office. He also involved his wife in the progressive women’s movement’s activities and struggles while caring for their young children.
When he joined an activity in Pampanga, Ka Noel decided to organize in the Central Luzon region and brought his wife and two children, including the 11-year-old Noel Jr., with him to Pampanga.
Carrying the long experience of struggling against the hardships of life and a high level of awareness of the true state of society, as well as a deep love for the people he serves, Ka Noel at this stage decided to embrace an even higher level of struggle and voluntarily joined the New People’s Army.
Known as a devoted family man and loving revolutionary father, Ka Noel actively and determinedly enlightened Jr. and involved him in production work and mass work to break the feudal-bourgeois influence of the rotten society on his family. Because of this, Jr. also wholeheartedly embraced the armed struggle and became a red fighter upon reaching his 18th birthday. Noel Jr. was known in the countryside as Ka Angel, a warm and cheerful red fighter.
PISTON honors and pays the highest tribute to the Bedonia father and son. Even in their passing, their lives forged by the revolution and offered for the people will never be in vain.
The memory and struggle started by the Bedonia family will live on in every terminal, depot, and road they plied, where more drivers, operators, and transport workers will rise up and destroy the reign of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism in our country.
The worsening crisis in society under the US-Marcos regime further proves the justness of the revolutionary path in ending the exploitation in the Filipino nation and the world.
Highest salute to Noel “Ka Felix” Bedonia Sr. and Noel “Ka Angel” Bedonia Jr.! Highest recognition to the Pantabangan 10 and all the great revolutionary martyrs and heroes of the Filipino people!
Long live the people’s national democratic struggle!