RIP Ka Bel

Rest in Peace Ka Crispin Beltran.

He is gone, but his spirit, his fight lives on.

Ka Bel died in a freak accident but I would not go as far as to say it was a senseless death. At 6 in the morning, he was up on his roof doing his job as the man of the house - checking on the roof that is supposed to protect his family from the coming rains. He is a Congressman, a Party List representative. Seated in Congress in behalf of the many workers, laborers and marginalized Filipino. Yet he has no qualms about going up the roof (with no safety equipment) to tend to what needs fixing.

What does that tell you about this man? How many Congressmen do you know who would do that (without cameras following them, that is)?

Since he first walked the halls of Congress as a lawmaker years ago, he's been tagged the poorest solon. That did not change until his death.

He may not have died alongside his comrades during a rally; he may not have been shot dead; he did not have to suffer in a prison cell in the last days of his life, yet his death is just as meaningful.

We surely can learn a lot from this old man's life, and the public officials specifically, can learn a lot from his death.


I first heard about Ka Bel and his struggles as a child. Though I did not have the privilege of meeting and working with him, I too mourn his passing.

Others have written about knowing and working with him, and remembering his legacy. If you want more, choose from a collection of links.