Kumander Liwayway

Remedios Gomez-Paraiso (1919 – May 15, 2014), known primarily as Kumander Liwayway, was a commander for the Philippines military.

Early life
Liwayway was the daughter of a provincial mayor. As a teenager, she was interested in making dresses and perfume. During the Huk Rebellion Japan invaded the Philippines. Her father organized resistance against them, for which the Japanese tortured and executed him. His corpse was displayed for everyone to see. Her father's death inspired her to leave college to join the guerrilla forces against Japan. The guerrilla forces gave Kumander Liwayway her name, meaning "Commander Dawn". After leaving Pampanga, Remedios and her brother were recruited by the Huk Guerrillas near mount Arayat. She chose to join “rather than die without putting up resistance.” She quickly moved up through the ranks of the military receiving both combat training and Marxist education.

Guerilla
Liwayway was known for dressing formally and wearing red lipstick in battle. Her reasoning was that she was fighting for the right to be herself. She first served as a nurse. During the Huk Rebellion only 10% of soldiers were female. However after a few months, Liwayway was promoted to commander of her military squad.

During the Battle of Kamansi, the Philippines Military was ordered to retreat. Liwayway and her squad refused to do so. Liwayway's group fought off the Japanese although heavily outnumbered. Liwayway twice became a prisoner of war and both times narrowly escaped execution. Liwayway did not accept the victory over the Japanese as the end of the struggle. She again joined the Huks in struggling against the new Philippine democracy which she considered a “farce.” She was arrested and charged with rebellion but was later released and joined her husband, Bani Paraiso as part of the expansion force in Visayas in 1948. In a raid later that year, he was killed and Liwayway was captured. Though she was eventually acquitted, her career as a revolutionary military commander ended here.

Later life
After the war Liwayway lobbied for military pensions and became vocal about the contribution of Filipino women in the war.

In 2014, she died at the age of 95 due to cardiopulmonary arrest.