Guillermo Capadocia (1909–September 28, 1951) was a Filipino

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

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 The Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (), better known by the acronym Hukbalahap, was a Filipino communist guerrilla movement formed by the farmers of Central Luzon. They were originally formed to fight the Japanese, but extended their fight int ...

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. He became active in

trade unions A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

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.Kerkvliet, Benedict J.
The Huk Rebellion: A Study of Peasant Revolt in the Philippines
'. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002. p. 221 In the labour movement, Capadocia was a leading figure in the Katipunan ng mga Anak-Pawis sa Pilipinas (KAP). Capadocia became the general secretary of the Communist Party in 1938, in the unification process with the Socialist Party.
Rectify Errors, Rebuild the Party!
' In the same year, Capadocia became the executive secretary of the Collective Labor Movement.Kurihara, Kenneth K.
Labor in the Philippine Economy
'. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1945. pp. 74-76 On January 25, 1942, Capadocia,

Pedro Abad Santos Pedro Abad Santos y Basco (, ; January 31, 1876 – January 15, 1945) was a Filipino Marxist politician. He founded the Partido Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PSP) or Philippine Socialist Party in 1932. He ran for several local elections but never w ...

, and Crisanto Evangelista were arrested by the Japanese forces.Taruc, L., 1967, He Who Rides the Tiger, London: Geoffrey Chapman Ltd. He was imprisoned at

Fort Santiago Fort Santiago (; ), built in 1571, is a citadel or castle built by Spanish navigator and governor Miguel López de Legazpi for the newly established city of Manila in the Philippines. The defense fortress is located in Intramuros, the walled ci ...

. He was released after some years. When the Congress of Labor Organizations was formed in July 1945, Capadocia was included in its leadership. Capadocia became the vice president of CLO.

Later years and death

When the ''

'' 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 Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and a total population of 4,542,926, as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City of Il ...

. The national government offered a $50,000 reward for him. Capadocia and several of his fighters were killed by an

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

task force, led by Col. Alfredo Ramos, in an attack on their hide-out in the mountains of

San Remigio, Antique San Remigio, officially the Municipality of San Remigio (; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,045 people. Making it 10th most populous municipality in the provin ...

, on September 28, 1951.Kerkvliet, Benedict J.
The Huk Rebellion: A Study of Peasant Revolt in the Philippines
'. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002. p. 236

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capadocia, Guillermo 1909 births 1951 deaths Politicians from Negros Oriental Filipino trade union leaders Filipino communists Communist Party of the Philippines politicians