Padayon at salamat, Ka Chibu!

Partido Sosyalista mourns the passing of comrade Carlos "Chibu" Lagman—journalist, academic, and stalwart of the socialist movement.

As a member of the press, Ka Chibu spoke truth to power. Under the Marcos administration, he bravely reported the "ambush" on Juan Ponce Enrile as a staged event, earning the ire of the government. When Ninoy was assassinated, Chibu helped get the word out internationally, having interviewed him only two days prior.

Lagman helped to bridge the Latin American and Philippine progressive movements, having spent much of his life in the continent as a self-proclaimed "Latino de Asia." He was a friend of the Zapatistas of Mexico and helped provide news coverage of their rebellion, as he did with the civil war in Guatemala. Chibu hoped that the Philippines would follow the example of successful revolutions in the region, always passing on news about Colombia and Cuba and lessons we could learn from them.

Up to his last days, comrade Chibu was a dear friend of the Party. He was there as we took our tentative first steps, cheering us on, sharing lessons learned while also giving us material support. As we salute and bid farewell to our departed comrade, we remember the words of his friend Subcomandante Marcos of the Zapatistas:

"We are nothing if we walk alone; we are everything when we walk together in step with other dignified feet."

Thank you, comrade Chibu, for ensuring that we never walk alone.