Who’s afraid of the big bad book?
In the words of Project Gunita: “Duwag lamang ang takot sa libro. Sinungaling lamang ang galit sa katotohanan” [Only cowards fear books. Only liars reject the truth]. (Photo: The Lily)
In a memorandum dated August 9, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) ordered the Sentro ng Wika at Kultura to halt the printing of five Filipino books that they considered “subversive” and “anti-government” in material. The order also instructed that media, schools, and libraries should be informed to not distribute these books.
The books were “Teatro Politikal Dos” by Malou Jacob, “Kalatas: Mga Kuwentong Bayan at Kuwentong Buhay” by Rommel Rodriguez, “Tawid-diwa sa Pananagisag ni Bienvenido Lumbera: Ang Bayan, ang Manunulat, at ang Magasing Sagisag sa Imahinatibong Yugto ng Batas Militar 1975-1979” by Dexter Cayanes, “May Hadlang ang Umaga” by Don Pagusara, and “Labas: Mga Palabas sa Labas ng Sentro” by Reuel Aguila.
The authors have questioned the order which seemingly came out of nowhere, expressing their dismay and disappointment in the KWF. Reuel Aguila suspected that the KWF focused on finding words like “Marcos” and “declaring Martial Law” and did not actually read the text in its entirety. Malou Jacob nodded at possible infighting within the KWF’s directorship at play.
The right to dissent or “inciting terrorism”?
Book banning is often used to censor material on sexual orientation, gender identity, and racism, and is the most widespread form of censorship in the United States. Confiscation and the seizing of subversive material was commonplace during late President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ martial law regime. Recently, textbooks have been banned for being authored by or referencing the National Democratic Front or communist rebels.
The KWF’s reason for banning the books? To avoid liability under the Anti-Terror Law which has a stipulation on “inciting to commit terrorism.” The KWF Board of Commissioners accused chair Arthur P. Casanova of authorizing the publication of supposed “Anti-Marcos” and “Anti-Duterte” content.
“Presently, these books are being proliferated to various State Universities and Colleges, media, and public school libraries, poisoning scholars with these political text types which are beyond the mandate of our agency under RA 7104,” the statement reads.
Casanova has denied the Commissioners’ allegations, explaining that these books were subjected to a review process undergone by all publications by KWF and received approval from the other full-time commissioners. Three of the alleged subversive works—”Kalatas,” “May Hadlang ang Umaga,” and “Teatro Politiko Dos”—were published and featured in April during the KWF Publikasyon Paglulunsad 2022.
“Furthermore, the allegations that these books are subversive is a dangerous accusation which may already be stepping on the boundaries of freedom of expression and academic freedom,” said Casanova in a Facebook post.
Concern about historical revisionism grew when it became clear that Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte, children of former presidents and subjects of these books, would be election winners. When Duterte was appointed Department of Education Secretary, many warned about the possibility of institutional disinformation and censorship in schools.
The flimsy, “Bad(u)y” logic
To determine whether or not the texts were subversive, the KWF also consulted—strangely enough—the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
To quote Professor McGonagall in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “Why is it when something happens, it is always you three?”
NICA is the same agency whose head accused Adarna House of radicalizing Filipino children against the government. In the wake of the May 2022 elections, Adarna House sold a #NeverAgain book bundle that included five illustrated books on Martial Law and the Marcos dictatorship. Under the same Facebook post was a comment by NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lorraine Badoy who said Adarna House is “planting hate and lies in the tender hearts” of toddlers and elementary children.
The logic seems to always be that removing these “subversive” books means protecting our children. Because apparently teaching children to read work about uprisings against abusive rule is evil?
If that’s the case, why do we still teach our kids to read Jose Rizal’s “El Filibusterismo,” a story where the main character hoped to incite rebellions against the ruling elites? What becomes of the stories of our national heroes who are praised for their bravery and patriotism?
Or look no further than the Holy Bible which should be banned for, y’know, everything the prophets and Jesus preached. Saints like Peter and Paul died because the authorities felt threatened by what they were teaching. Jesus himself was crucified after years of preaching to sinners and challenging Pharisees and Scribes.
Lawmakers and academics have pushed back against the memorandum. According to Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the KWF has “no power whatsoever to ban and censor written works in Filipino.” A statement by the University of the Philippines Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas pointed out that it is beyond the NTF-ELCAC’s mandate to censure work of any subject, as part of the right to free speech and expression.
An informed and critical citizenry makes a democracy. We have to ask ourselves: Why do the KWF, NICA, and NTC-ELCAC get to say what makes a work subversive? What are they so afraid of?
