Guillermo Capadocia
Filipino politician and communist labor leader
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Guillermo Capadocia (1909 – September 28, 1951)[1] was a Filipino communist politician and labour leader. He was a prominent leader of the Communist Party in the Philippines (PKP) and different labour movements. During the last one and a half years of his life he was a regional guerrilla commander of the Hukbalahap.[2]
Guillermo Capadocia | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1909 Negros Oriental, Philippines |
| Died | September 28, 1951 (aged 41–42) San Remigio, Antique, Philippines |
| Occupation | Politician |
Early life
Capadocia was born in Negros Oriental, the son of a poor labourer. Capadocia himself survived through various employments, such as working as a chef and waiter.[3] He became active in trade unions in the 1920s. Despite lacking a formal education, Capadocia became highly literate and gained a deep knowledge of Marxist-Leninist thought.
Prominence in the PKP
When the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (Communist Party in the Philippines or PKP) was founded, Capadocia was included in its first Central Committee.[3] In the labour movement, Capadocia was a leading figure in the Katipunan ng mga Anak-Pawis sa Pilipinas (KAP).[4] Capadocia became the general secretary of the Communist Party in 1938, in the unification process with the Socialist Party.[5][6] [7] In the same year, Capadocia became the executive secretary of the Collective Labor Movement.[8][9]
On January 25, 1942, Capadocia, Pedro Abad Santos, and Crisanto Evangelista were arrested by the Japanese forces.[10]: 61 He was imprisoned at Fort Santiago. He was released after some years.[11]
When the Congress of Labor Organizations was formed in July 1945, Capadocia was included in its leadership. Capadocia became the vice president of CLO.[12]
Later years and death
When the Hukbalahap rebellion broke out in 1949, Capadocia stayed overground and continued to work as a Congress of Labor Organizations leader. However, in late 1949 he went underground to lead the Huks on the island of Panay.[3] The national government offered a $50,000 reward for him.[1] Capadocia and several of his fighters were killed by an Army task force, led by Col. Alfredo Ramos, in an attack on their hide-out in the mountains of San Remigio, Antique, on September 28, 1951.[1][13]