Home Weekender Focus Tales from the dark days

Tales from the dark days

September 21, 2018 | 12:30 am

Compiled by Doris Lois Rifareal

As we approach the 46^th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law on Sept. 23, 1972 (not Sept. 21 as was promoted during the time and which many people still believe — that was part of the dictator’s fetish with the number “7”), here is a listing of books on Martial Law, the Marcos dictatorship, and the people who struggled against it. The books are different takes by different authors, from the 1970s to the present, published in the Philippines and elsewhere, for readers of all ages.
(Year indicated is for the first publication. Book covers may be other than the first edition.)
FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS, ILLUSTRATED
• 12:01 (2016) by Russell Molina, illustrated by Kajo Baldisimo
This graphic novel is set in one of the darkest chapters of modern Philippine history. A minute after midnight mean it’s a minute past the midnight curfew that was enforced during Martial Law and that’s where four teenagers find themselves after being stranded when their ride breaks down.
• Isang Harding Papel (2014) by Augie Rivera, illustrated by Rommel Joson; Filipino Readers’ Choice Award for Children’s Picture Book (3^rd place) 2015
It is Martial Law and Jenny is separated from her mother who is in prison for protesting the regime. Jenny visits her once a week, and her mother gives her a paper flower. Until when will she grow her paper garden?
• Ito ang Diktatura and Mga Uring Panlipunan (2017) by Equipo Plantel, illustrated by Mikel Casal and Joan Fernàndez Negrescolor
These children’s books tackle dictatorship and social injustice, explained in everyday Filipino. The slim volumes never resort to pandering or lecturing to their intended reader. The source material, which is part of a four-book series, was published between 1978 and 1979 in Barcelona, Spain, at a time when it was transitioning from the effects of the dictator Francisco Franco’s regime and transitioning towards a more stable democracy.
• Martial Law Babies (2008) by Arnold Arre
In this graphic novel Arnold Arre (author of The Mythology Class) explores the lives of children who grew up knowing only Marcos and his New Society, following them into adulthood after the martial law years.
• Si Jhun-Jhun, Noong Bago Ideklara ang Batas Militar (2001) by Augie Rivera, illustrated by Brian Vallesteros
This children’s book is meant to explain martial law to children. The main character, Jhun-jhun, wonders what is happening to his older brother and gets a frightening answer.
FICTION / NOVELS
• The Alien Corn: A Novel (1992) by Edith L. Tiempo
• Awaiting Trespass (1985) by Linda Ty-Casper
A portrait of the Marcos’s period as well as a sophisticated comedy of the bourgeois manners in Manila society, according to Goodreads.
• Bamboo in the Wind (1990) by Azucena Grajo Uranza; Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Novel in English
A senator, a young nationalist, a dispossessed farmer, a radical activist, a convent school girl, a Jesuit scholastic desperately try to prevent the coming of Martial Law in 1972.
• Cave and Shadows (1983) by Nick Joaquin
A Martial Law era “metaphysical” thriller written by the National Artist for Literature. The whodunit is set in motion by a mysterious death, and intersperses historical fact with fiction.
• Dekada ’70 (1984) by Lualhati Bautista; Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Nobela, Grand Prize (1983)
Parents deal with raising their five teenage sons through Martial Law. The book was turned into a film by Chito Roño in 2002, and into a theater musical this year.
• Desaparesidos (2006) by Lualhati Bautista; Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards (2006)
A novel by the award-winning writer, it tells the story of a mother’s search for her missing child after a military encounter. With an introduction by National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera Bien.
• Dogeaters (1990) by Jessica Hagedorn; American Book Award (1991), National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (1990)
“As sharp and fast as a street boy’s razor” (The New York Times Book Review), Dogeaters is an intense fictional portrayal of Manila in the heyday of Marcos’s Martial Law. In the center of this tale is Rio, a feisty schoolgirl who will grow up to live in America and look back with longing on the land of her youth. Hagedorn adapted her book into a play in 1997.
• Eating Fire and Drinking Water by Arlene J. Chai
A reporter learns more than she expects when she rushes into a burning street after a deadly student demonstration.
• An Embarrassment of Riches (2000) by Charlson Ong; Centennial Literary Prize
A satire of Philippine politics and cults of personality, the book relates what happens after a dictator dies in the fictional island of Victorianas, with a motley crew of characters — the daughter of a tycoon, the of the underground, a preacher, a feng shui master, and an exile — drawn to the upcoming elections.
• Empire of Memory (1992) by Eric Gamalinda, edited by Ricardo M. de Ungria
Two friends are hired by Marcos to rewrite Philippine history to make it appear that Marcos was destined to rule the country in perpetuity.
• Fish-Hair Woman by Merlinda Bobis; Most Underrated Book Award 2013
A village is caught up in the government’s war against the communist insurgency, the Fish Hair Woman searches for corpses in the water, and an Australian writer disappears in the conflict. Years later, his son comes searching.
• Fortress in the Plaza (1985) by Linda Ty-Casper
The book is an “attempt to show how, faced with dark choices, it is possible to live with dignity, courage and grade,” according to Joseph A. Galdon. “The basic symbol of the novel is the fortress, which ambivalently stands for both the fortress of the Philippine society under Martial Law and for the fortress of a family, as well as for the fortresses that individuals erect within themselves.”
• Great Philippine Jungle Energy Café (1998)
By Alfred A. Yuson
In the novel, the Revolution of 1896, the demonstrations against Marcos in the 1980s, and banditry in the boondocks in the days of the Guardia Civil happen side by side.
• The Jupiter Effect: A Novel (2006) by Katrina P. Tuvera; Juan C. Laya Prize for Best Novel in a Foreign Language (2007)
The story of two Martial-Law babies who underwent political initiation during the Marcos years.
• Ka Gaby, Nom de Guerre (2001) by Paulino Lim, Jr.
• Killing Time in a Warm Place (1992) by José Y. Dalisay Jr; NBDB National Book Award for Fiction (1992)
A fictionalization of Dalisay’s experiences as a student activist and writer during the martial law years, it follows a young man whose bucolic life in a village is changed with the arrival of Martial Law.
• Mass: A Novel (1973) by F. Sionil Jose; Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for English Novel, Grand Prize (1981)
A historical and political novel written by the National Artist F. Sionil José, it looks at life during the years before and after Martial Law, discussing a failed uprising and how one character goes home to rebuild his life.
• Secrets of the Eighteen Mansions (2010) by Mario I. Miclat; Man Asian Literary Prize Nominee (2009)
The novel intertwines the Philippines’ First Quarter Storm and the formation of the New People’s Army, and China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and ’70s, and looks at how the movement goes awry.
• A Small Party in the Garden (1988) by Linda Ty Casper
Set during Martial Law, a friend of Imelda Marcos learns first hand what brutality means.
• State of War: A Novel (1988) by Ninotchka Rosca
Three friends travel to an island festival only to get caught up in a plot to kill The Commander.
• Stolia (1983) by Wilfredo Garrido
• Surveyors of the Liguasan March (1981) by Antonio R. Enriquez; Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature 1982
The book tackles the never-ending rift between the Moros and Christians in Mindanao.
• Tiger Orchids on Mount Mayon series by Paulino Lim, Jr. — Tiger Orchids on Mount Mayon (1990), Sparrows Don’t Sing in the Philippines (1994), Requiem for a Rebel Priest (1996)
The first book is a love story against the backdrop of an erupting Mayon Volcano. An American businessman has an affair with his secretary, while his wife wants to return to California. His assistant, a former activist, is being pressured to take a more active role in the Communist party while the parish priest confronts social ills. Violence explodes on the night Mayon unleashes it fury.
• Twice Blessed (1992) by Ninotchka Rosca; American Book Award (1993)
Twins engage in Philippine politics, with their rise marked by catastrophes — to themselves, to the people around them, and to the nation they aspire to dominate.
• Wings of Stone (1986) by Linda Ty-Casper
After a 13-year absence, Johnny Manalo returns to the Philippines after the Aquino assassination and sees the horrors of the twilight years of the Marcos regime.
NONFICTION
• Agaw Dilim, Afaw-Liwanag (2009) by Lualhati Milan Abreu
A creative nonfiction autobiographical work on the communist underground written in colloquial Filipino.
• Armando (2006) by Jun Cruz Reyes
A biography of Armando Teng, a cadre in the revolutionary movement.
• Armando J. Malay, A Guardian of Memory: The Life and Times of a Filipino Journalist and Activist (2002) by Marites N. Sison and Yvonne T. Chua
Journalists Sison and Chua help Filipinos tackle the three roles Malay has played — journalist, educator, activist — in the country’s history through this book along with other aspects — family man, coworker, friend — to bring out his human side.
• Assassinations and Conspiracies:
From Rajah Humabon to Imelda Marcos (2003) by Manuel F. Martinez
A look into the details that led to the deaths of some heroes, as well as heretofore unpublished details of assassination attempts against former Philippine presidents.
• Bangsamoro: National Under Endless Tyranny (1999) by Salah Jubair
The author explains the struggle he was involved in for the Moro people’s liberation in the light of Marcos’ oppression.
• Beyond Disappearance: Chronicles of Courage (2006) published by Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), edited by Silverio G. Sevilla, Jr. with Louie Crismo, Phebe Gamata Crismo, Estelita del Rosario, Bonifacio Parabuac Ilagan, Benito E. Molino MD, Raquel Paca-Santos, Celia Sevilla, and Nicolas Amado Tayag
A record of some Filipino desaparecidos who were among the brightest minds and spirits of an era.
• Breaking Through: The Struggle Within the CPP (1994) by Joel M. Rocamora
• Closer than Brothers : Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy (1999) by Alfred W. McCoy
Through a comparison of two generations of graduates from the Philippine Military Academy — the classes of 1940 and 1971 — the author finds fundamental differences in their academic socialization and subsequent ascent to power.
• The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos (1976) by Primitivo Mijares
An insider, Mijares wrote this controversial book detailing the abuses and corruption of the Marcos regime. Mijares subsequently disappeared and a year later his younger son was found dead, having been brutally tortured. In reaction to the resurgence of the Marcos family, Mijares’ heirs released it in 2016 as a free e-book download from the Ateneo de Manila Rizal Library, and in February 2017, a revised and annotated reprint was released by his grandson.
• Dateline Manila (2007) by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP)
A compilation of essays and photographs of events in the 30 years since the founding of FOCAP, it provide snapshots of events from the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, through the assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr. in 1983, the “People Power Revolution” of 1986, the ouster of President Joseph Estrada in 2001, and the travails of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
• Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage: The First Quarter Storm & Related Events (1982) by Jose F. Lacaba
A first-person account of the political awakening of the Filipino youth, it was published before the actual end of the Marcos era. Lacaba reports on the protests in the lead up to the declaration of Martial Law.
• Dead Aim : How Marcos Ambushed Philippine Democracy (1997) by Conrado de Quiros
• Debts of Dishonor, Vol. 1 (1991), published by Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, edited by Amado Mendoza, with Robert Verzola, et al.
• Development Debacle: The World Bank in the Philippines (1982) by Walden Bello, David Kinley, and Elaine Elinson
A landmark study of leaked World Bank documents published in 1982.
• Dictatorship & Martial Law: Philippine authoritarianism in 1972 (1987) by Alex B. Brillantes, Jr.
• Down from the Hill : Ateneo de Manila in the First Ten Years of Martial Law (2002) by Cristina Jayme T. Montiel and Susan Evangelista
The book contains vignettes from former students, faculty, administrators, professionals, and Jesuits on things that had been whispered about on campus. Has an appendix of relevant documents that are often difficult to access.
• Endgame: The Fall of Marcos (1987) by Ninotchka Rosca
An account of the fall of Ferdinand Marcos and his regime in the Philippines in February 1986 detailing the major forces that shaped the uprising, the underground revolutionary movement, the moderate reformers, and the Washington government.
• Ferdinand Marcos and The Philippines : The Political Economy of Authoritarianism (1997) by Alberto F. Celoza
An examination of how the authoritarian regime of Marcos remained in power for 14 years through the support of bureaucrats, businessmen, and the military, and the assistance of the United States government.
• Fight for the Filipino (2008) by Teofisto Guingona, Jr.
The memoirs of a politician with a front-row seat to the seminal events in the history of the Philippines. With a foreword by Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno
• Filipino Poetry and Martial Law 1970-1987: Clenched Fists and Yellow Ribbons (2016) by Lilia Quindoza Santiago
The Marcos dictatorship produced a wealth of art and literature dedicated to dismantling an unjust social order. This book focuses on the poets.
• Full Quarter Storms: Memoirs and Writings on the Philippine Left, 1970-2010 (2010) by Cesar “Sonny” Melencio
The book covers the most significant periods of the rise, decline and renewal of the Philippine left.
• A Garrison State in the Making (1985) by Benigno Aquino, Jr.
• I See Red in a Circle (1972) by Ceres S.C. Alabado
About the student activist movement in Philippine Science High School.
• In Our Image : America’s Empire in the Philippines (1989) by Stanley Karnow
Pulitzer Prize for History (1990)
Traces the history of the Philippines, discusses the influence of Spain and the United States, and looks at the problems facing the Philippines when it was published.
• Inside the Mass Movement: A Political Memoir (2008) by Raul E. Segovia
A participant and witness in the mass movement, Segovia shares his perspective on its history, direction and problems.
• Inside the Palace : The Rise and Fall of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos (1987) by Beth Day Romulo
An insider’s account of the Marcoses’ opulent lifestyle, the nature of their relationship, and why they were overthrown.
• A Journey of Struggle & Hope: The Memoir of Jovito R. Salonga (2001) by Jovito Salonga
“Poignantly reflects our people’s political pilgrimage and struggles.” – Hilario G. Davide Jr, Supreme Court Chief Justice; “A personal testament to a man’s search for meaning and purpose as a devout Christian and political leader.” – Corazon C. Aquino, President of the Philippines, 1986-1992
• Justice Under Siege: Five Talks (1981) by Jose W. Diokno
• Living and Dying: In Memory of 11 Ateneo de Manila Martial Law Activists (2007) by Cristina Jayme Montiel
Memorializes the 11 young Ateneans: Ferdie Arceo, Bill Begg, Jun Celestial, Sonny Hizon, Edjop Jopson, Eman Lacaba, Dante Perez, Ditto Sarmiento, Lazzie Silva, Nick Solana, Manny Yap, who died during Martial Law.
• Ang Mamatay nang Dahil sa ’yo: Heroes and Martyrs of the Filipino People in the Struggle Against Dictatorship 1972-1986 (Vol 1, 2015) by the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation
A book about the heroes and martyrs of resistance against the dictatorship that ruled over the country between 1972 and 1986.
• The Marcos Dynasty (1988) by Sterling Seagrave
The inside story behind the corruption of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos and the involvement of American business, organized crime, the CIA, the Pentagon and the White House.
• The Marcos File: Was He a Philippine Hero Or Corrupt Tyrant? (1987) by Charles C. McDougald
• Marcos Martial Law: A Brief History of Torture and Atrocity Under the New Society (2016) by Raissa Robles
In the foreword, Rene Saguisag writes: “Raissa’s magnum opus cites certain of the worst cases of Martial Law human rights abuses… Bongbong Marcos asks, what human rights violations during my parents’ watch? This edifying volume answers the foolish question. Learn more about terror of 1972-1986 from this magnum opus.”
• Martial Law Diary and Other Papers (2003) by Danilo P. Vizmanos
Covering the period between 1973 and 1974, “this is not a personal diary in the conventional sense,” explains the book’s preface. “Almost all its pages are devoted to accounts, observations and comments on significant happenings during early and critical stage of martial rule.”
• Martial Law in the Philippines: My Story (2006) by Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr.
While primarily about the experiences the author and his family underwent during the martial law regime, the author describes how Marcos laid the foundation for Martial Law in the 1973 Constitutions, and describes how some detainees were tortured and who the torturers were.
• Militarism and Repression in the Philippines: Working Paper Series (1982) by Jim Zwick
• Mondo Marcos: Writings on Martial Law and the Marcos Babies (2010) edited by Frank Cimatu and Rolando Tolentino, photography by Andy Zapata
Some of the best Filipino writers recall their life under President Ferdinand Marcos.
• Miltant But Groovy: Stories of Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan (2008) edited by Soliman M. Santos, Jr. and Paz Verdades M. Santos
This book revisits one of the more prominent youth organizations of the early 1970s.
• Musika at Bagong Lipunan: Pabuo ng Lipunang Filipino, 1972-1986 (2014) by Raul Casantusan Navarro
This examines how music was used as a powerful propaganda tool to advance the political agenda of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos during the Martial Law period.
• A Nation for Our Children: Human Rights, Nationalism, Sovereignty: Selected Writings of Jose W. Diokno, by Jose W. Diokno, edited by Priscila Manalang
A collection of Jose W. Diokno’s speeches and articles tackling three major concerns — respect for human rights, nationalism, and Philippine sovereignty.
• Not on Our Watch: We Were There (2011), published by LEADS-CEGP 6972 Inc., edited by Jo-Ann Q. Maglipon
The true-to-life stories of 13 Filipino student journalists during the martial law years of the Marcos dictatorship, all of whom are now prominent individuals in Philippine society: Jaime FlorCruz, Manuel M. Dayrit, Diwa Guinigundo, Alfonso S. Mendoza, Soledad F. Juvida, and José Dalisay Jr, Jay Valencia Glorioso, Jack Teotico, Victor H. Maranarang, Calixto Chikiamco, Roberto Verzola, Angie Castillo, and Vic A. Wenceslao.
• Of Tyrants and Martyrs: A Political Memoir (2017) by Manuel C. Lahoz
An account of Manuel Lahoz’s experiences during Martial Law including his encounters with Fr. Zacarias Agatep, Deacon Santiago Arce, Ama Macli-ing Dulag, Puri Pedro, Sr. Mariani Dimaranan, and Bobby dela Paz.
• O Susana!: Untold Stories of Martial Law in Davao (2016), edited by Macario D. Tiu
Thirty-four former church and development organization workers wrote 45 essays, all of them having their own stories to tell.
• A Pen for Democracy (1984) by Raul S. Manglapus
A decade of articles, speeches, letters, interviews, and committee testimony published in the international press and the US Congressional Record.
• The Philippine Press: Under Siege, Vol. I (1984) and Vol. II (1985), published by the National Press Club & Committee to Protect Writers
Vol. 1 is a selection of articles by journalists — many of whom were charged with libel — written from 1981-1984, Vol. 2 is selection of dangerous writings from 1980-1984 and includes articles that were banned from print.
• The Philippines Reader: A History of Colonialism, Neocolonialism, Dictatorship, and Resistance (1987) edited by Daniel B. Schirmer and Stephen R. Shalom with Luzviminda Francisco, et al.
A compilation of analytical essays and narratives linking the country’s colonial history with the dictatorship.
• Policing America’s Empire: The United States, the Philippines & the Rise of the Surveillance State – New Perspectives in SE Asian Studies (2009) by Alfred W. McCoy; George McT. Kahin Prize (2011)
With a breathtaking sweep of archival research, McCoy shows how repressive techniques developed in the colonial Philippines migrated back to the United States for use against people of color, aliens, and really any heterodox challenge to American power. This book proves Mark Twain’s adage that you cannot have an empire abroad and a republic at home. – Bruce Cumings, University of Chicago
• The Political Economy of Growth and Impoverishment in the Marcos Era (1993) by James K. Boyce
This book analyzes the Philippine economy from the 1960s to the 1980s, during which the benefits of economic growth conspicuously failed to “trickle down.” Professor Boyce focuses upon three central elements of the government’s development strategy: the “green revolution” in rice agriculture; the primacy accorded to export agriculture and forestry; and massive external borrowing.
• Politics of Plunder: The Philippines Under Marcos (1987) by Belinda A. Aquino
Dr. Aquino uses the controversial Marcos papers and other incriminating materials retrieved from the plane that carried Marcos and his family to exile in Hawaii.
• Presidential Plunder: The Quest for Marcos’ Ill-Gotten Wealth (2000) by Jovito R. Salonga; NBDB National Book Award
A detailed account of the history of Ferdinand Marcos’s ill-gotten wealth based on primary accounts and documents collated by Presidential Commission on Good Government.
• Project Seahawk : The Barbed Wire Journal (1993) by Dolores S. Feria
• Pumipiglas: Political Detention and Military Atrocities in the Philippines, 1981-1982 (1986) published by Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines
• Recollections (2013) by Thelma Arceo
A compilation of short anecdotal pieces written by Arceo about her son, Ferdinand “Ferdie” Arceo, who is one of the Bantayog martyrs.
• Serve the People: Ang Kasaysayan ng Radikal na Kilusan sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (2008), edited by Bienvenido Lumbrera with Judy Taguiwalo, Roland Tolentino, Ramon Guillermo, Arnold Alamon
A collection of stories on activism and radical movements within University in the Philippines.
• Six Young Filipino Martyrs (1997) edited by Asuncion David-Maramba
Includes short biographies of Lean Alejandro, Lorena Barros, Remberto “Bobby” de la Paz, Edgar “Edjop” Jopson, Emmanuel “Eman” Lacaba, and Abraham “Ditto” Sarmiento, Jr.
• SOCDEM: Filipino Social Democracy in a Time of Turmoil and Transition, 1965-1995 (2011) published by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, edited by Benjamin T. Tolosa, Jr.
An effort at collective story-telling.
• Some Are Smarter than Others: The History of Marcos’ Crony Capitalism (1991) by Ricardo Manapat, edited by Larry Henares
This book documents in detail how state power was used to intervene in the economy during Marcos’ rule.
• Subversive Lives: A Family Memoir of the Marcos Years (2012) by Susan Quimpo, Nathan Gilbert Quimpo, et al
An oral history on how nine Quimpo siblings did their part to resist Martial Law.
• Summary Execution: The Seattle Assassinations of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes (2018) by Michael Withey
A true story that is stranger than fiction, peopled with assassins, political activists, FBI informants, murdered witnesses, a tenacious attorney, and a foreign dictator.
• Testament from a Prison Cell by Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Written in a prison cell by one of the first political opponents to be arrested and held in military detention after Marcos established his totalitarian regime. Presented here is Aquino’s defense of his political views, his outline for an ideal society, and a family history of patriotism.
• Thirty Years Later… Catching Up With the Marcos-Era Crimes (2016) by Myles A. Garcia
• A Thousand Little Deaths: Growing Up Under Martial Law in the Philippines (2013) by Vicky Pinpin-Feinstein
A year after Martial Law was declared, the author, then just 15 years old, was picked up by soldiers and sent to a military camp, becoming one of the thousands of political prisoners. After her release, she was required to report to camp, her probation lasting five years. She was never charged and was never told why she was arrested.
• Through the Eye of the Storm: Random notes of Danilo P. Vizmanos (2000) by Danilo P. Vizmanos
The author gives an account of his life, times, the people and circumstances that helped develop his thinking, that led to his conversion from a ranking AFP officer with the rank of naval captain to a progressive struggling for social and national emancipation.
• Tibak Rising: Activism in the Days of Martial Law (2012) edited by Ferdie Llanes
A collection of individual stories about the struggle against martial law, with contributors including Gilda Cordero-Fernando, Edicio Dela Torre, Joel Saracho, and Joel Rocamora.
• A Time to Rise: Collective Memoirs of the Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP) (2017) edited by Rene Ciriacruz, Cindy Domingo, and Bruce Occena, foreword by Augusto F. Espiritu
An intimate look into the workings of the only revolutionary organization that emerged in the Filipino American community during the 1970s and 1980s.
• The Transnational Dynamics of the Marcos Plunder (1999) by Belinda A. Aquino
A companion piece to the author’s book, Politics of Plunder, it tackles the unresolved corruption issues under the Marcos regime and how they continue to affect the larger geopolitical environment within and outside the Philippines.
• To Suffer Thy Comrades: How the Revolution Decimated its Own (2001) by Robert Francis Garcia; NBDB National Book Award for Social Science (2001)
An account of one of the CPP-NPA internal anti-infiltration operations — the infamous Oplan Missing Link — written by a former cadre. The book looks at the guerrilla headquarters and lives of those in the revolutionary movement during the Martial Law era, and the chaos and paranoia that later caused the group to implode.
• Turning Rage into Courage: Mindanao Under Martial Law (2002) edited by Carolyn O. Arguillas
A compilation of memoirs by 38 Mindanaoans
• U.G. An Ungerground Tale: The Journey of Edgar Jopson and the First Quarter Storm Generation (2006) by Benjamin Pimentel Jr, foreword by Jovito R. Salonga, afterword by Gloria A. Jopson-Kintanar
One of the most fascinating and tragic personalities connected with martial law was Edgar “Edjop” Jopson, the Ateneo student council leader who faced off with Ferdinand Marcos, joined the NPA, and was killed by the military.
• Unequal Alliance, 1979-1986: The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Philippines (1988) by Robin Broad
US development specialist Robin Broad chronicles the Philippine experiment with the structural adjustment model of development espoused by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, demonstrating why this model of development is harmful to the poorer majorities in developing countries, and how it is particularly inappropriate in a world economy of vastly reduced growth.
• The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos (1988) by Carmen Pedrosa
How Imelda Romualdez-Marcos rose from being a destitute child to becoming the most powerful woman in the country.
• Waltzing with a Dictator (1987) by Raymond Bonner; Cornelius Ryan Award (1987)
Based on hundreds of interviews and more than 3,500 previously classified government documents, this is an account of the 20-year relationship between the United States and the Marcos regime.
• Whose Side are We On? Memoirs of a PMAer (2016) by Dante Simbulan
The author — a cadet and officer in the PMA, a professor, a political prisoner, and an activist — narrates his personal experiences and provides historical context.
• Women Against Marcos: Stories of Filipino and Filipino American Women Who Fought a Dictator (2016) by Mila de Guzman with Mila D. Aguilar, Geline Avila, Aurora de Dios, Cindy Domingo, Sr., Mary John Mananzan and Aida Santos
The accounts of six women who joined the struggle against Ferdinand Marcos.
• Worth Dying For (1987) by Lewis M. Simons
A Pulitzer Prize-winner’s account of the events that took place from the time of Benigno Aquino’s assassination to the victory of Corazon Aquino and the flight of Ferdinand Marcos.
Most of these books are available in university and institutional libraries, local bookstores, and online shops. Some are also in digital format freely available for downloading.
Doris Lois Rifareal is today a freelance graphic/multimedia artist, but back in the 1980s she was a student activist belonging to the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) and worked part-time at the Philippine News & Features under UP Dean Luis Teodoro.
The book list is Ms. Rifareal’s personal project, born from an online plea from a teacher in a Batangas public high school who wanted to put up an exhibit on Martial Law for her students but didn’t know where to get the materials. Ms. Rifareal, with the help of some friends, came up with several materials in poster form which were then exhibited in the school, and which later made their way to UP Davao.
The list of Martial Law books was one of the subjects the project tackled. Tess Battad, a librarian based in the US, helped start with a list, and many more contributed.
“Especially with the proliferation of fake news and ‘historical revisionism,’ that teacher’s plea made me realize more how wanting we are of good resource materials, those that can be easily digested by the young. So while her request is no easy task, I took it, for our kids,” said Ms. Rifareal.
Sources
General, shops: