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Only three words for my epitaph: Writer. Book lover.

I was six or seven, thereabouts, when I started tinkering with this technological marvel they call a paperback. The addiction caught on when I was about 10. Since then, not a day goes by without a book in my hands.

I'm so crazy about books that, if by some freak happenstance I'm forced to choose between a government official and a signed first edition of Alexandre Dumas' Le Comte de Monte Cristo, while trying to escape a sinking ship, I'd go and save The Count. Officials have access to jet skis anyway.

The recent banning of so-called "subversive" books made me wonder: have we reached rock bottom?

By the force of a single memorandum, the Commission on Higher Education-Cordillera Administrative Region (CHED-CAR) Regional Memorandum No. 113, s. 2021, the Kalinga State University and the Isabela State University moved to eliminate "subversive" books and other leftist materials from their library.

The said memo, dated Oct. 21, 2021, says in unambiguous language: "(1) In support [ emphasis, mine] of Executive Order No. 70 series of 2018 "Institutionalizing the Whole of Nation Approach in Attaining Inclusive and Sustainable Peace, Creating the Task Force to End Communist Armed Conflict" and in Cognizance to the 3 Quarter Cordillera RTF-ELCAC meeting held on September 22, 2021, all Higher Education Institutions in Cordillera Administrative Region are encouraged [ emphasis, mine] to join the region-wide removal of subversive materials both in libraries and online platforms."

"(4) The materials shall be [emphasis, mine] turned over to local counterparts of National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) in your area. The materials shall be inventoried, a copy of which and documentation of the turned-over" blah, blah, blah.

If you're wondering what in Dracula's castle is an , here it is: "Acts of the President providing for rules of a general or permanent character in implementation or execution of constitutional or statutory powers shall be promulgated in executive orders" based on the definition by Administrative Code of 1987, Book III, Chapter 2, Section 2.

Anyone with a smidgin of understanding of English knows that the tone and intent of the memorandum are unequivocal: there is an ongoing regionwide effort to remove such subversive books and materials from libraries and online platforms, and that to swerve from such an instruction coming from the RTF-ELCAC through CHED-CAR's memorandum would mean that your university is in complete opposition to Executive Order No. 70.

The use of the phrase "In support" and "shall," the latter being an expression of strong assertion and intention, caps the memorandum as instruction rather than the simple sharing of information which the agencies have agreed upon.

Yet, after being called out by netizens online, the Cordillera agency of CHED insists in its second memorandum dated Nov. 8, 2021 that it had neither instructed nor encouraged the said banning of books.

It's Regional Memorandum No. 122 series 2021 states:

"This office clarifies that the Memorandum issued does not compel order [sic] nor encourage [ emphasis, mine] Higher Education Institutions to remove subversive materials in their library or in any other online information services. Rather, the said memorandum merely informs Higher Education Institutions that in a meeting of the RTF-ELCAC held on September 22, 2021, it was agreed upon by the member-agencies to encourage [ emphasis, mine] HEIs to remove so-called subversive materials in their libraries."

Read that again. This time, I suggest you pop a Prozac because this is the worst example of damage control, to say nothing of a botched reading comprehension, that I've ever encountered in years.

Three things I'd like to raise: first, I strongly doubt if any of those who decided to ban "subversive" books had read the same. Worse, I don't see the logic of choosing to ban these books without comprehending any of them to begin with.

I mean, if these people fail to make sense in their own memoranda, how can they grapple with the intricate logic found in the materialist interpretation of history found in Marxism? Groucho Marx would be extremely displeased.

Second, damage control should not in any way, shape or form disavow one's very own words. It's no different from hitting yourself with a blunt object. You may explain it further, maybe even choose to skirt around it at your own risk, but not incriminate yourself by denying outright what you've just put on paper.

Somewhere in the vast boondocks of the internet, a copy of said document will pop up. Are these agencies suggesting that they have the reading comprehension of a rock?

Lastly, who's afraid of a darn book? I've read pretty much every single banned book from the Marquis de Sade's One Hundred Twenty Days of Sodom to Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses. My kids read the most banned book of all time: Harry Potter. None of these books turned me or my kids into sexual predators, terrorists, or, heaven forbid, Pornhub superstars.

In a country stripped largely of poise and pride as ours, books are veritable luxuries. Poverty, injustice, state atrocities, police brutality, militarization, impunity: these are the proselytizers of resistance, not books per se.

What better way to spark dissent than to rule as a corrupt, self-indulgent, shameless, devil-may-care dictator with Ninja Turtles for a fashion sense. You may throw in "ugly" to complete the ad hominem.

Allow me to let you in on the oldest trick in the book: banning books is the best way to raise them to the category of bestsellers. The more they are deemed immoral, decadent, downright wicked, or saccharine- ly innocent, the more they are likely to be bought and read.

Transgressive literature is sumptuous literature. Think cakes: the sinful, the better. If that ain't true, chefs would not have invented the triple decker Pistachio Sansrival or the Mango Bravo.

I have often said to young professionals everywhere to never-not now or anytime in the future-have sex with anyone who deliberately refuse to read.

They're not only a stain in the human gene pool, you don't want to grow old with someone too brain-sloppy to comprehend anything you say. Alzheimer's and dementia are bad enough as they are without you having to add to them. Besides, I simply don't want you to turn into murderers.

As for those who ban books, we might as well book 'em.

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Banning books is the oldest trick in the book

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The recent banning of so-called "subversive" books made me wonder: have we reached rock bottom?

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UP Visayas University Library receives book donations from Phil Army

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Two books were received by the UP Visayas University Library from the Philippine Army on 05 October 2022.

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https://www.facebook.com/CONTENDUP/videos/1038533186946973

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Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy

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#HandsOffOurLibraries: A FORUM ON BOOK CENSORSHIP AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM

1. Welcome Remarks
Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, UP Diliman Chancellor

2. The Library and... | By Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy | Facebook

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631 views, 13 likes, 15 loves, 0 comments, 31 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy: #HandsOffOurLibraries: A FORUM ON BOOK CENSORSHIP AND...

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https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/13/activists-as-champions-of-ph-languages/

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https://www.facebook.com/updcalsc/photos/a.2197564733738592/2209480879213644

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https://www.facebook.com/UnyonNgMgaManunulatSaPilipinas/posts/pfbid0EgQaQRdSLZdoYuGbNDftyGjmyU1kEwmrecig7cFaHeL1yVAvhepVuhvXjiKJqFPyl

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https://www.philstar.com/pilipino-star-ngayon/bansa/2022/08/11/2202001/kwf-ipina-ban-5-libro-sa-mga-eskwela-library-sa-pagiging-subersibo

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James Relativo - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines - Ipinatatanggal ngayon ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) ang ilang libro sa mga silid-aklatan at mga paaralan dahil sa pagiging "subersibo" at "kontra-gobyerno" - ito kasabay ng Buwan ng Wika ngayong Agosto.

Ayon sa isang memorandum na pinetsahang ika-9 ng Agosto, sinabi ng KWF na ito'y para maiwasan ng mga institusyong pang-edukasyon ang kontrobersyal na Republic Act 11479 o Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

"Kagyat na iniaatas ang tuluyang PAGPAPATIGIL sa lahat ng aklat na may nilalamang politikal, subersibo at mga malikhaing akdang may subliminal na ideolohiyang nanghihimok at/o nakapag-uudyok na labanan ang pamahalaan at sa lahat ng kauring tekstong inilimbag kasama ang nasa imprenta o pangangalaga ng yunit ng publikasyon ng Komisyon," wika ng KWF.

"Pinapayuhan din ang lahat ng SWK Direktor sa pamamagitan ng tagapag-ugnay nito na huwag ipamigay ang mga tukoy na aklat sa ibaba upang hindi tayo managot sa RA 11479 partikular sa seksyiyon 9, Inciting to commit terrorism."

Ilan sa mga binanggit na libro, na pinararatangang "may lahok na subersibo" at "kontra-gobyerno" ang:

"Teatro Politikal Dos" ni Malou Jacob

"Kalatas: Mga Kuwentong Bayan at Kwentong Buhay" ni Rommel B. Rodriguez

"Taiwd-diwa sa pananagisag ni Bienvenido Lumbera: Ang Bayan, ang Manunulat, at ang Magasing Sagisag sa Imahinatibong Yugto ng batas Militar 1975-1979" ni Dexter B. Cayanes

"May Hadlang ang Umaga" ni Don Pagusara

"Labas: Mga Palabas sa Labas ng Sentro" ni Reuel M. Aguila

As the country commemorates Buwan ng Wika, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino has issued a memorandum calling on schools and libraries to pull out the following
"subversive" books for being "anti-government."@PhilippineStar @onenewsph pic.twitter.com/tCfhqkLJOj
- Marc Jayson Cayabyab (@mjaysoncayabyab) August 11, 2022

Kaugnay nito, inaatasan ang officer-in-charge (OIC)-director general na maglabas ng liham sa lahat ng nabigyang midya, library at mga paaralan "upang ipaliwanag ang pagpapatigil sa mga naturang aklat na 'di umaalinsunod sa mandatong nakasaad sa RA 7104."

"Kagyat na may bisa ang memong ito sa limbag na petsa sa itaas. Mahigpit na tumalima," dagdag pa ng memo.

'Itigil red-tagging sa mga manunulat!'

Binanatan tuloy ng mga author, akademiko, atbp. ang ginagawang sensura sa mga naturang libro.

Ilan sa mga nagbigay ng kanyang pagkundena ay si Rommel Rodriguez, na siyang nagbigay ng kanyang pahayag sa Facebook nitong Miyerkules.

"Hindi na mailalabas ang libro kong ito dahil sa pambabalahura nina Badoy, Celis at Frank ng NTF-ELCAC. Kelan pa kayo naging literary critic?! Puny*m*s! Hirap magsulat, tapos kayo puro chika na walang kuwenta!" banggit niya.

"Nais kong sabihin at manawagan sa mga kapwa manunulat at artista ng bayan na huwag natin palampasin ang mga kampon na ito ang magdikta sa paglikha natin ng sining! Wala dapat silang lugar sa malayang pagpapahayag! Wala silang karapatan na alisan tayo ng karapatan sa paglikha ng malayang sining!"

Nanawagan din siyang itigil na ang red-tagging at censorship na aniya'y ginagawa ng pamahalaan laban sa mga itinuturo nitong mga kalaban ng gobyerno o rebeldeng komunista.

Ang pahayag ni Rodriguez ay kaugnay ng pag-akusa nina Lorraine Marie Badoy, tagapagsalita ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), sa KWF bilang "tagapagmudmod ng terrorist propaganda" sa palabas na "Laban Kasama ng Bayan" sa Sonshine Media Network International.

Ang nabanggit ay agad namang binatikos ng Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas kahapon.

Ang lahat ng ito ay nangyayari sa ilalim ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., anak ni Ferdinand Marcos Sr. na nagpataw ng Martial Law sa Pilipinas noong 1972 hanggang Dekada '80.

Matatandaang binan din sa ilalim ng Batas Militar ni Marcos ang mga librong "The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos" ni Primitivo Mijares at "The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos" ni Carmen Navarro Pedrosa. - may mga ulat mula kay The STAR/Marc Jayson Cayabyab

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KWF ipina-ban 5 libro sa mga eskwela, library sa pagiging 'subersibo'

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James Relativo - Philstar.com MANILA, Philippines - Ipinatatanggal ngayon ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) ang ilang libro sa mga silid-aklatan at mga paaralan dahil sa pagiging "subersibo" at "kontra-gobyerno" - ito kasabay ng Buwan ng Wika ngayong Agosto.

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https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/list-websites-esperon-blocked-progressive-groups-news-organizations-philippines/

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Legitimate, progressive, or foreign-based: The websites Esperon sought to block in PH

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The content of these websites, especially those linked to groups clearly not designated as terrorists by the anti-terror council, begs not just the question about the basis of the move but also its objective

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https://progressive.international/wire/2022-06-29-bulatlat-raises-alarm-against-govt-order-to-block-sites-of-independent-media-progressives/en

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In a statement released Wednesday, June 22, expressed its shock and rage against the NTC's memorandum instructing all internet service providers to immediately block access to 28 websites, including Bulatlat.

" Bulatlat [...] condemns this brazen violation of our right to publish, and of the public's right to free press and free expression," the media outfit said in its statement.

The NTC cites in its memorandum a June 6, 2022 letter from the National Security Council (NSC) listing down over two dozen websites "found to be affiliated to and are supporting terrorists and terrorist organizations." However, the NSC failed to provide basis for the inclusion of several independent and alternative media outlets in their list.

The letter was written and signed by National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who is also the Anti-Terrorism Council Vice Chairperson.

Following reports that Bulatlat could not be accessed by readers since June 17, 2022, the news site also wrote a letter on June 20, 2022 addressed to the NTC and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) urging them to investigate Esperon's claims. Bulatlat has not yet received any reply as of writing.

Bulatlat deplored this most recent state-sponsored cyber attack in its statement and called it "prior restraint against protected speech."

"It is downright unacceptable as it is based on Esperon's mere hearsay," Bulatlat said.

The alternative media organization is no stranger to red-tagging and cyber attacks. Exactly one year ago, June 22, 2021, Qurium released a forensic report linking a 2021 cyber attack on Bulatlat to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine military.

Bulatlat called on the public to "stand against attempts to muzzle legitimate sources of information" as it continues its coverage.

"No matter who is in power, we have remained fearless in our truth-telling. We will continue our work while we also consider all legal remedies available to question, and stop yet another state-sponsored repression," it said in its statement.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines denounced what they call as arbitrary inclusion of Bulatlat, Pinoy Weekly and other news websites in the said list.

In a statement, the group said Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly have existed for years and have built a track record of reporting on people's issues.

"Sometimes, that reporting has been critical of the government and its policies, but it is dangerous to equate this with affiliation or support that the government now claims," the group said.

"Blocking access to these sites leave a gap in discourse and in the flow of information and highlights the threats posed by the Anti-Terrorism Law on the freedom of expression and on freedom of the press," the group said adding that what's even more concerning is the danger that labeling puts the staff and correspondents of the listed websites in.

"We have repeatedly warned against the dangers of red-tagging and how the practice paints groups and people as legitimate targets for threats, harassment and physical attacks. This labeling, in the form of an official government document, magnifies that danger even more," the group said.

Readers can access Bulatlat's mirror site here.

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Bulatlat raises alarm against gov't order to block sites of independent media, progressives

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In a statement released Wednesday, June 22, expressed its shock and rage against the NTC's memorandum instructing all internet service providers to immediately block access to 28 websites, including Bulatlat. " Bulatlat [...] condemns this brazen violation of our right to publish, and of the public's right to free press and free expression," the media outfit said in its statement.

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https://www.facebook.com/UPLBDHUM/posts/pfbid02dvPMTVnPvuP6GwKLAAr9h3sXQtuM5ocpydzrHeeuZKdaV4g814FQCfzpyJAUbeg3l

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https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/protect-truth-marcos-return-philippines-triggers-fear-history-2022-05-27/

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MANILA, May 27 (Reuters) - Books about the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his brutal era of martial law are flying off the shelves, spurred by "panic buying" after his son and namesake won a May 9 presidential election.

Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s presidency, set to begin on June 30, has many people worried about losing access to books and other accounts of his father's rule, given his family's decades-long effort to rehabilitate its name through what critics describe as a campaign of historical revisionism.

"They are panic buying," Alexine Parreno said of her customers, many them parents buying books about martial law aimed at children.

"They are really worried and scared that the books will be pulled out and that everything will be revised."

One shopper was Faith Alcazaren, a mother of two, who picked up extra bundles of books to send to friends overseas.

"I felt like the smallest thing I can do and have control over is to protect the truth," she said.

Thousands of opponents of the senior Marcos were jailed, killed or disappeared during martial law, from 1972 to 1981, when the family name became synonymous with cronyism and extravagance as billions of dollars of state wealth disappeared.

The younger Marcos has called for a revision of textbooks that cover his father's rule, saying they are teaching children lies.

His choice of education minister, vice president-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of outgoing strongman leader Rodrigo Duterte, has raised fears the Marcos family will finally succeed at entrenching its sanitised version of history.

"We already thought that textbooks and the teaching of history in basic education was woefully inadequate in terms of explaining to our youth and children what the martial law period meant," said Ramon Guillermo, a professor at the University of the Philippines.

"If the Marcoses come back to power and Dutertes are supporting them, we could even have a more difficult situation in teaching what really happened," said Guillermo.

YEARS OF INVESTIGATION

Guillermo, with a group of fellow scholars, launched a manifesto last week pledging to combat attempts to falsify history to suit the Marcos narrative, and to oppose all censorship and book-banning.

The manifesto, signed by 1,700 people, came after a government task force labelled as communist a children's book publishing firm selling five titles on martial law and dictatorship it called "#NeverAgain Book Bundle".

"Never Again!" was the battlecry of millions of protesters who joined the historic "people power" revolution that toppled the 20-year dictatorship in 1986, when the senior Marcos and his notoriously extravagant wife, Imelda, fled with their children into exile in Hawaii.

"History cannot be bought, but books about history can be purchased," one book buyer said on Instagram.

"We will continue to fight historical revisionism."

Marcos and Duterte-Carpio did not respond to requests for comment. In a 2020 media forum, Marcos dismissed accusations his family was attempting to rewrite history.

"Who is doing revisionism? They put it in the books, the children's textbooks that the Marcoses stole this, we did this ... what they have been saying about what we stole, what we did, not all of them are true."

Years of investigation and legal proceedings followed the rule of the senior Marcos. The Presidential Commission on Good Government set up in 1986 has retrieved about $5 billion of the Marcos fortune, its chairman, John A. Agbayani said. Another $2.4 billion is still caught up in litigation, he said.

'TSUNAMI OF DISINFORMATION'

The younger Marcos fought the election with the slogan "Together, we shall rise again", invoking nostalgia for his father's rule, which his family and supporters have portrayed as a golden age.

His campaign rode what academics called a "tsunami of disinformation" with social media flooded with narratives playing down rights abuses and corruption under his father.

On the day it became clear that Marcos had won, a book published in 1976 that details corruption and abuses during the Marcos regime sold 300 copies, its publisher said.

More than a week later, 500 copies of the book, "The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos", were sold within an hour of being posted online.

"I wanted to make sure that inside our home, I can keep a version of the martial law era that has not been tampered with by their hands," said college student Jose Anonat, who got the book.

In an indication of the sort of history re-writing that Marcos supporters want, Juan Ponce Enrile, the late dictator's defence minister, said in a conversation with the younger Marcos that appeared on YouTube in 2018, that not one person was arrested for political and religious views, or for criticising the elder Marcos.

The clip has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.

There were also attempts to remove the terms "dictator" and "kleptocrat" describing the elder Marcos on Wikipedia, said Carlos Nazareno, of the Wiki Society of the Philippines, part of a movement against disinformation.

Carmelo Crisanto, who heads an agency memorializing martial law victims, is digitising documents relating to 11,103 survivors who were awarded reparations from seized Marcos family wealth. He hopes the database will be online by September, in time for the 50th anniversary of the declaration of martial law.

"These archives will be alive," said Crisanto. "They will never be suppressed."

Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Robert Birsel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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'Protect the truth': A Marcos return in Philippines triggers fear for history

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MANILA, May 27 (Reuters) - Books about the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his brutal era of martial law are flying off the shelves, spurred by "panic buying" after his son and namesake won a May 9 presidential election.

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https://www.proquest.com/openview/396d5a973cc6285dabb54da0b8f7bac2/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=646543

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Scholarly Journal

David, Lourdes.

International Leads; Chicago Vol. 37, Iss. 1,  (Mar 2022): 17.

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https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/adarna-house-connected-cpp-npa-ndf/?fbclid=IwAR2Tn8kDMRn9Fbzb_WATc_0135Z9nvb1x0vBbMeFSovEJpqE01WrYqFQ-pM

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Wala sa anumang konteksto ng dalawang libro na ito o anumang pambatang libro ng Adarna House ang naghihikayat sa mga bata o kabataan na sumali sa mga armadong grupo

Buod

Ang sabi sabi: Ayon kay National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Alex Paul Monteagudo, niraradikalisa ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front ang mga bata sa pamamagitan ng mga libro mula sa Adarna House.

Marka: HINDI TOTOO

Ang katotohanan: Ang mga libro ng Adarna House, partikular na ang mga librong Ito ang Diktadura at Jhun-jhun, Noong Bago Ideklara ang Batas Militar, ay halaw sa mga tunay na nangyari sa kasaysayan. Wala sa anumang konteksto ng dalawang libro na ito o anumang pambatang libro ng Adarna House ang naghihikayat sa mga bata o kabataan na sumali sa mga armadong grupo.

Bakit kailangang i-fact check: Ang sabi-sabing ito ay mapanganib dahil ito ay porma ng red-tagging na malaking banta sa karapatan at seguridad ng mga indibiduwal at institusyong tulad ng Adarna House. Ang post na ito ay nanggaling sa isang opisyal ng pamahalaan.

Mga detalye

Sa isang Facebook post nitong Huwebes, Mayo 12, iniugnay na ni National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Alex Paul Monteagudo ang mga librong pambata ng premyadong publisher na Adarna House sa Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Aniya, tinuturuan daw ng mga librong ito na sumalungat sa pamalahaan ang mga bata at kabataan.

Nakalakip sa kanyang post ang imahe ng mga tanyag na pambatang libro na Ito ang Diktadura ni Equipo Plantel at Jhun-Jhun, Noong Bago Ideklara ang Batas Militar ni Augie Rivera.

Hindi totoo na may kaugnayan sa CPP-NPA-NDF ang mga librong ito o maski ang Adarna House.

Ang librong Ito ang Diktadura ay orihinal na nailimbag na bahagi ng Spanish book series noong 1977 bilang pagpapakilala sa mga diktador mula sa iba't ibang bansa tulad ni Adolf Hitler, Kim Jong-il, Saddam Hussein, at, sa kontekstong Filipino, si Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Ito ay isinalin sa Filipino ni Kata Garcia at inilimbag ng Adarna House noong 2017.

Tumutukoy din ito sa mga pangyayari at karanasan kung paano mabuhay sa ilalim ng diktadurya. Non-fiction ang genre ng librong ito dahil ito ay naglalayong magbigay ng kuwento at impormasyon tungkol sa mga tunay na nangyari sa mundo at kasaysayan.

Kinikilala rin hindi lang ng Filipinas kundi ng iba't ibang bansa na diktador ang dating pangulo na si Ferdinand Marcos Sr. dahil sa paggamit nito ng kanyang kapangyarihan at ng Batas Militar upang pamunuan ang bansa mula 1965 hanggang mapatalsik siya noong 1986.

Ang librong Jhun-Jhun, Noong Bago Ideklara ang Batas Militar ay nagkukuwento tungkol sa mga organisadong demonstrasyon bago ang Batas Militar mula sa perspektibo ni Jhun-jhun, isang inosenteng bata.

Historical fiction naman ang genre ng librong ito na ang mga panahon, pangyayari, at lugar ay nakabase sa tunay na nangyari sa kasaysayan habang ang mga karakter at aksiyon ay maaaring kathang-isip.

Bilang pagkilala rito, maraming demonstrasyon bago ang Batas Militar na maaaring paghalawan ng kuwento, tulad ng serye ng kilos-protesta noong Sigwa ng Unang Kuwatro o First Quarter Storm.

Wala sa anumang konteksto ng dalawang libro na ito o anumang pambatang libro ng Adarna House ang naghihikayat sa mga bata o kabataan na sumali sa mga armadong grupo. (BASAHIN: Adarna's Martial Law kid's books on sale, red-tagged by NICA chief)

Sa katunayan, ang Adarna House ay kilala sa paglikha ng mga makabuluhang libro para sa mga bata simula pa lamang noong 1980.

Nagkamit ito ng halos 100 prestihiyosong pagkilala at parangal sa loob at labas ng bansa. Ilan na rito ang Gintong Aklat Award, National Book Awards, Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, International Board on Books for Young People, at Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations.

Itinatag ito ni Pambansang Alagad ng Sining at makatang Virgilio S. Almario (Rio Alma), na puspusang nangampanya ngayong 2022 para kina Leni Robredo at Kiko Pangilinan para sa pagkapangulo at pangalawang pangulo.

Ang ideya para sa publishing house na ito ay mula sa proyektong ipinatupad ni Almario para sa Nutrition Center of the Philippines ni Unang Ginang Imelda Marcos noong 1970s. - Dominic Gutoman/Rappler.com
Kung may nakikita kang kahina-hinalang Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, artikulo, o mga larawan sa iyong network, i-send ang mga ito sa factcheck@rappler.com. Maaari ring magsumite ng mga sabi-sabi sa#FactsFirstPH tipline. Ipadala lang ang mga ito bilang message sa Facebook ng Rappler, bilang direct message sa Twitter ng Newsbreak, o bilang message sa aming Viber fact check chatbot. Sa bawat , labanan natin ang pagkalat ng mali o mapanlinlang na impormasyon.

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HINDI TOTOO: Mga librong pambata ng Adarna House may kaugnayan sa CPP-NPA-NDF

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Wala sa anumang konteksto ng dalawang libro na ito o anumang pambatang libro ng Adarna House ang naghihikayat sa mga bata o kabataan na sumali sa mga armadong grupo Buod Ang sabi sabi: Ayon kay National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Alex Paul Monteagudo, niraradikalisa ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front ang mga bata sa pamamagitan ng mga libro mula sa Adarna House.

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https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/570441-list-subversive-filipino-literature

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Reading (books) gives knowledge, and as mentioned time and again, knowledge is power.

Throughout history, authorities worldwide have banned books that they think are obscene, if not subversive. The Philippines, of course, has had its fair share of censorship and curtailment when it comes to the written word.

As we celebrate Independence Day, here's a list of reading materials that were taken off shelves, banned production and, like any other source material, allow you to exercise your freedom to read in full.

Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo by José Rizal

José Rizal, considered as the country's national hero, ruffled the feathers of Spanish authorities during the Spanish occupation with his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

The novels depicted frailes as corrupt and hypocritical. In Noli, the character Padre Salvi, for instance, was behind the killing of altar boy Crispin after accusing him of stealing without proof.

The more infamous Padre Damaso was later revealed to be the biological father of Maria Clara, the love interest of protagonist Crisostomo Ibarra, whose dead father's remains were earlier ordered exhumed by Damaso. Salvi is also shown secretly lusting over Maria and later on sexually abuses her, as implied, when she enters the convent as a nun.

In El Fili, Ibarra, who's presumed dead after a shootout during Noli's events, returns after over a decade and assumes the new identity Simoun.

He's hell-bent on exacting revenge and starting a revolution against the Spanish government. Later in the novel, Simoun brought a lamp that's actually a bomb meant to kill church leaders and government officials at a wedding reception.

Rizal was exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao from 1982 to 1986 for his novels. In 1986, he was arrested and put to trial for rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy. He was then ordered executed by a firing squad.

In 1956, Noli and El Fili became part of the Philippine education system via Republic Act 1425 or Rizal Law, which requires all schools to teach the life and works of Rizal.

Foremost Filipino diplomat and writer Leon Ma. Guerrero's translations under Anvil Publishing are available on its and e-commerce platforms Shopee and Lazada. The Penguin Classics edition of the , translated by American scholar Harold Augenbraum from the original Castilian Spanish with annotations, are also up for grabs and available at popular bookstores National Bookstore and Fully Booked.

The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos by Primitivo Mijares

In The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, Primitivo Mijares, the late dictator's media adviser, exposed the "massive corruption and military abuses" during the martial law period, and the "schemes that built and held its infrastructure."

The book, first published in 1976 by Union Square Publications, was subsequently banned while the Marcoses were still in power. Mijares, meanwhile, disappeared a year after the book's first publication.

In 2017, Primitivo's grandson JC Mijares Gurango relaunched the book with Ateneo University Press, with revisions and annotations.

The publishing house has received a surge in orders when Marcos Sr.'s son and namesake Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. won as president-elect in the May 9 polls.

In a Facebook post, Ateneo University Press said it closed Conjugal Dictatorship reservations for the time being. Soft copies of the 700-page book, meanwhile, are also making rounds .

The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos by Carmen Navarro Pedrosa

Journalist Carmen Navarro Pedrosa, a former STAR columnist who passed on last June 8, was known for her biographical books about the former first lady Imelda. Her most (in)famous book was The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos, originally published in 1969.

"A modern Cinderella story, it tells of how she rose from being a destitute child to becoming the most powerful woman of the country," the publisher's note reads.

It was banned by the Marcoses during Martial Law, and Pedrosa's family were exiled to London for 20 years. Before going out of print, over 300,000 copies of the book were sold, and was translated into French, Japanese, and Portugese.

After the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, Pedrosa's second Imelda biography The Rise and Fall of Imelda Marcos was published in 1987 and in 2016, a semi-autobiographical book in Imelda Romualdez Marcos: The Verdict followed.

Reading materials related to CPP-NPA-NDF

In September 2021, three state universities in Kalinga, Isabela, and Aklan removed from their libraries "subversive" books and other materials from and about the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

A month after, the Commission on Higher Education-Cordillera Administrative Region made things "official" via Regional Memorandum No. 113, s. 2021, saying all Higher Education Institutions in CAR "are encouraged to join the region-wide removal of subversive materials both in libraries and online platforms."

Isabela State University

The memo defined subversive materials as "literatures, references, publications, resources, and items that contain pervasive ideologies of the Communist-Terrorist Groups," which should be turned over to local counterparts of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

Among the materials removed was the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, a landmark agreement between the Philippine government and the CPP-NPA-NDF.

The 15-page public document, which is actually available , seals the first of the four substantive agenda laid out by the two parties. The agreement was signed by NDFP chairman Mariano Orosa on April 10, 1998, and President Erap Estrada on Aug. 7, 1998.

Related Article

'The Handmaid's Tale' releases fireproof edition 'because powerful words can never be extinguished'

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LIST: Most challenged PH history books, resources to exercise your freedom to read

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Reading (books) gives knowledge, and as mentioned time and again, knowledge is power. Throughout history, authorities worldwide have banned books that they think are obscene, if not subversive. The Philippines, of course, has had its fair share of censorship and curtailment when it comes to the written word.

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https://www.facebook.com/StreetstoSchoolsProject/photos/a.1946489502034506/6031284583554957/

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https://www.facebook.com/UPCESC/photos/a.200925386617092/5276687795707467/

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https://twitter.com/sc_upslis/status/1526191560723148800

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Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our Book Publishers!

The UP SLISSC vehemently condemns the ceaseless incidents of red-tagging putting bookstores and book publishers in grave peril.

View the full statement here: https://t.co/pZaevIqmxa

#DefendAcademicFreedom

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UP SLIS Student Council - Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our...

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Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our Book Publishers! The UP School of Library and Information Studies Student Council vehemently condemns the ceaseless incidents of red-tagging under the Duterte...

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our Book Publishers!

The UP SLISSC vehemently condemns the ceaseless incidents of red-tagging putting bookstores and book publishers in grave peril.

View the full statement here: https://t.co/pZaevIqmxa

#DefendAcademicFreedom https://t.co/Ac7AKhbiW3

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Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our Book Publishers!

The UP SLISSC vehemently condemns the ceaseless incidents of red-tagging putting bookstores and book publishers in grave peril.

View the full statement here: https://t.co/pZaevIqmxa#DefendAcademicFreedom pic.twitter.com/Ac7AKhbiW3
— UP SLIS SC (@sc_upslis) May 16, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.entities.urls[].title
UP SLIS Student Council - Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.entities.urls[].description
Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our Book Publishers! The UP School of Library and Information Studies Student Council vehemently condemns the ceaseless incidents of red-tagging under the Duterte...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our Book Publishers!

The UP SLISSC vehemently condemns the ceaseless incidents of red-tagging putting bookstores and book publishers in grave peril.

View the full statement here: https://t.co/pZaevIqmxa

#DefendAcademicFreedom https://t.co/Ac7AKhbiW3

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our Book Publishers!

The UP SLISSC vehemently condemns the ceaseless incidents of red-tagging putting bookstores and book publishers in grave peril.

View the full statement here: https://t.co/pZaevIqmxa

#DefendAcademicFreedom https://t.co/Ac7AKhbiW3

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our Book Publishers!

The UP SLISSC vehemently condemns the ceaseless incidents of red-tagging putting bookstores and book publishers in grave peril.

View the full statement here: https://t.co/pZaevIqmxa

#DefendAcademicFreedom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.entities.urls[].title
UP SLIS Student Council - Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.entities.urls[].description
Hands-Off our Bookstores! Hands-Off our Book Publishers! The UP School of Library and Information Studies Student Council vehemently condemns the ceaseless incidents of red-tagging under the Duterte...

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https://twitter.com/myavenidaph/status/1525033935352504320

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Unity in Diversity 

To parents, teachers, and readers:
On May 12, 2022, the “Never Again” promo bundle of @AdarnaHouse, composed of five illustrated children’s books, was described by NICA director as tools to “subtly radicalize the Filipino children against our govt." (1/8)

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Unity in Diversity 

To parents, teachers, and readers:
On May 12, 2022, the “Never Again” promo bundle of @AdarnaHouse, composed of five illustrated children’s books, was described by NICA director as tools to “subtly radicalize the Filipino children against our govt." (1/8) https://t.co/OoHGAayzK6

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Unity in Diversity

To parents, teachers, and readers:
On May 12, 2022, the “Never Again” promo bundle of @AdarnaHouse, composed of five illustrated children’s books, was described by NICA director as tools to “subtly radicalize the Filipino children against our govt." (1/8) pic.twitter.com/OoHGAayzK6
— Avenida Books PH (@myavenidaph) May 13, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Unity in Diversity 

To parents, teachers, and readers:
On May 12, 2022, the “Never Again” promo bundle of @AdarnaHouse, composed of five illustrated children’s books, was described by NICA director as tools to “subtly radicalize the Filipino children against our govt." (1/8) https://t.co/OoHGAayzK6

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Unity in Diversity 

To parents, teachers, and readers:
On May 12, 2022, the “Never Again” promo bundle of @AdarnaHouse, composed of five illustrated children’s books, was described by NICA director as tools to “subtly radicalize the Filipino children against our govt." (1/8) https://t.co/OoHGAayzK6

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Unity in Diversity 

To parents, teachers, and readers:
On May 12, 2022, the “Never Again” promo bundle of @AdarnaHouse, composed of five illustrated children’s books, was described by NICA director as tools to “subtly radicalize the Filipino children against our govt." (1/8)

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https://www.facebook.com/PhilippinesMAD/posts/169823705465779

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https://twitter.com/sc_upslis/status/1503947161049853959

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Calling all UP System students! 🎉🎉

March 16 is Freedom of Information Day. We bring you an explainer of the approved resolution on GLAMs.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at https://t.co/ropCEFMyYr

#HandsOffOurLibraries
#DefendAcademicFreedom

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User Experience Survey of UP Students on Library and Information Services in the UP System During COVID-19 Pandemic

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Dear Iskolar ng Bayan, You are invited to participate in this survey conducted by the UP School of Library and Information Studies Student Council. The survey aims to gauge the perception of UP students in using library and information services in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAMs) on a system-wide level. At the same time, it puts emphasis on some insights, sentiments, and best practices of students in relation to these institutions amidst the continuing health crisis. We would like to humbly request for at least 10 minutes to answer the survey. It will collect information about: demographics of the respondents, disposition on remote learning, and best practices and perceptions in library and information use before and during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this survey will provide valuable inputs to the ongoing formulation of appropriate policies, protocols and specific actions that would ensure the gradual and safe opening of UP’s campuses sooner, especially in al

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Calling all UP System students! 🎉🎉

March 16 is Freedom of Information Day. We bring you an explainer of the approved resolution on GLAMs.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at https://t.co/ropCEFMyYr

#HandsOffOurLibraries
#DefendAcademicFreedom https://t.co/cnV8SJulNq

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Calling all UP System students! 🎉🎉

March 16 is Freedom of Information Day. We bring you an explainer of the approved resolution on GLAMs.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at https://t.co/ropCEFMyYr#HandsOffOurLibraries#DefendAcademicFreedom pic.twitter.com/cnV8SJulNq
— UP SLIS SC (@sc_upslis) March 16, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.entities.urls[].title
User Experience Survey of UP Students on Library and Information Services in the UP System During COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.entities.urls[].description
Dear Iskolar ng Bayan, You are invited to participate in this survey conducted by the UP School of Library and Information Studies Student Council. The survey aims to gauge the perception of UP students in using library and information services in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAMs) on a system-wide level. At the same time, it puts emphasis on some insights, sentiments, and best practices of students in relation to these institutions amidst the continuing health crisis. We would like to humbly request for at least 10 minutes to answer the survey. It will collect information about: demographics of the respondents, disposition on remote learning, and best practices and perceptions in library and information use before and during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this survey will provide valuable inputs to the ongoing formulation of appropriate policies, protocols and specific actions that would ensure the gradual and safe opening of UP’s campuses sooner, especially in al

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Calling all UP System students! 🎉🎉

March 16 is Freedom of Information Day. We bring you an explainer of the approved resolution on GLAMs.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at https://t.co/ropCEFMyYr

#HandsOffOurLibraries
#DefendAcademicFreedom https://t.co/cnV8SJulNq

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Calling all UP System students! 🎉🎉

March 16 is Freedom of Information Day. We bring you an explainer of the approved resolution on GLAMs.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at https://t.co/ropCEFMyYr

#HandsOffOurLibraries
#DefendAcademicFreedom https://t.co/cnV8SJulNq

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Calling all UP System students! 🎉🎉

March 16 is Freedom of Information Day. We bring you an explainer of the approved resolution on GLAMs.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at https://t.co/ropCEFMyYr

#HandsOffOurLibraries
#DefendAcademicFreedom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.entities.urls[].title
User Experience Survey of UP Students on Library and Information Services in the UP System During COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.entities.urls[].description
Dear Iskolar ng Bayan, You are invited to participate in this survey conducted by the UP School of Library and Information Studies Student Council. The survey aims to gauge the perception of UP students in using library and information services in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAMs) on a system-wide level. At the same time, it puts emphasis on some insights, sentiments, and best practices of students in relation to these institutions amidst the continuing health crisis. We would like to humbly request for at least 10 minutes to answer the survey. It will collect information about: demographics of the respondents, disposition on remote learning, and best practices and perceptions in library and information use before and during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this survey will provide valuable inputs to the ongoing formulation of appropriate policies, protocols and specific actions that would ensure the gradual and safe opening of UP’s campuses sooner, especially in al

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https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom/status/1524713663302672384

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UPDATED. The sale has led National Intelligence Coodinating Agency (NICA) Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo to red-tag Adarna House, accusing the publishing company of “radicalizing” children against the government. #NeverAgain 
 https://t.co/ySjgggLPDX

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#NeverAgain: Adarna’s Martial Law kid’s books are on sale

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The bundle contains five illustrated books that tell stories of the Martial Law era

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UPDATED. The sale has led National Intelligence Coodinating Agency (NICA) Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo to red-tag Adarna House, accusing the publishing company of “radicalizing” children against the government. #NeverAgain 
 https://t.co/ySjgggLPDX

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UPDATED. The sale has led National Intelligence Coodinating Agency (NICA) Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo to red-tag Adarna House, accusing the publishing company of “radicalizing” children against the government. #NeverAgain
https://t.co/ySjgggLPDX
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) May 12, 2022

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#NeverAgain: Adarna’s Martial Law kid’s books are on sale

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.entities.urls[].description
The bundle contains five illustrated books that tell stories of the Martial Law era

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
UPDATED. The sale has led National Intelligence Coodinating Agency (NICA) Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo to red-tag Adarna House, accusing the publishing company of “radicalizing” children against the government. #NeverAgain 
 https://t.co/ySjgggLPDX

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
UPDATED. The sale has led National Intelligence Coodinating Agency (NICA) Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo to red-tag Adarna House, accusing the publishing company of “radicalizing” children against the government. #NeverAgain 
 https://t.co/ySjgggLPDX

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
UPDATED. The sale has led National Intelligence Coodinating Agency (NICA) Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo to red-tag Adarna House, accusing the publishing company of “radicalizing” children against the government. #NeverAgain 
 https://t.co/ySjgggLPDX

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.entities.urls[].title
#NeverAgain: Adarna’s Martial Law kid’s books are on sale

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.entities.urls[].description
The bundle contains five illustrated books that tell stories of the Martial Law era

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https://twitter.com/YearoftheMonSy/status/1524967300755247104/photo/1

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Mariiin naming kinukundena ang red-tagging ng Adarna House!

Tumitindig kami kasama ng lahat ng mga progresibong kuwentistang pambata para sa patuloy na produksyon ng mga librong hindi lilimot sa kasaysayan!

#StopRedTagging!
#HandsOffOurPublishers!

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Mariiin naming kinukundena ang red-tagging ng Adarna House!

Tumitindig kami kasama ng lahat ng mga progresibong kuwentistang pambata para sa patuloy na produksyon ng mga librong hindi lilimot sa kasaysayan!

#StopRedTagging!
#HandsOffOurPublishers! https://t.co/Iyd8Y3oTFt

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Mariiin naming kinukundena ang red-tagging ng Adarna House!

Tumitindig kami kasama ng lahat ng mga progresibong kuwentistang pambata para sa patuloy na produksyon ng mga librong hindi lilimot sa kasaysayan!#StopRedTagging!#HandsOffOurPublishers! pic.twitter.com/Iyd8Y3oTFt
— Mon Sy #NeverAgain #NeverForget (@YearoftheMonSy) May 13, 2022

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Mariiin naming kinukundena ang red-tagging ng Adarna House!

Tumitindig kami kasama ng lahat ng mga progresibong kuwentistang pambata para sa patuloy na produksyon ng mga librong hindi lilimot sa kasaysayan!

#StopRedTagging!
#HandsOffOurPublishers! https://t.co/Iyd8Y3oTFt

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Mariiin naming kinukundena ang red-tagging ng Adarna House!

Tumitindig kami kasama ng lahat ng mga progresibong kuwentistang pambata para sa patuloy na produksyon ng mga librong hindi lilimot sa kasaysayan!

#StopRedTagging!
#HandsOffOurPublishers! https://t.co/Iyd8Y3oTFt

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Mariiin naming kinukundena ang red-tagging ng Adarna House!

Tumitindig kami kasama ng lahat ng mga progresibong kuwentistang pambata para sa patuloy na produksyon ng mga librong hindi lilimot sa kasaysayan!

#StopRedTagging!
#HandsOffOurPublishers!

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https://www.bulatlat.com/2022/03/23/red-tagging-of-bookstores-an-attack-on-academic-freedom-critical-thinking-teachers/?fbclid=IwAR2onSGmw27HM07aeM4PTRIKR2swCAA3EU1LTx0iQWEUrj9uQHuNyeMzT50

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‘Red-tagging of bookstores, an attack on academic freedom, critical thinking’ - teachers - Bulatlat

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Progressive educators decried the red-tagging of two bookstores, saying that this is another unmistakable attack on academic freedom and critical thinking.

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https://www.facebook.com/Bulatlat.Online/posts/10158739085072916

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https://twitter.com/yourtitakate/status/1459137774980767746

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https://twitter.com/bulatlat/status/1454236793331666944

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https://twitter.com/YMAT_ST/status/1453672637570248704

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https://twitter.com/SALiGAN_CSSP/status/1483400732984635393

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https://www.bulatlat.com/2022/01/17/mga-salitang-bawal-mga-rehimeng-nabuwal/

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Nang pumutok ang isyu ukol sa pagtanggal sa mga "subersibong libro" sa mga aklatan ng tatlong pamantasan noong nakaraang taon, hindi maiwasan ng marami na ituring ang mga insidente bilang "book purging." Malaman ang paglalarawang ito sapagkat naiuugnay ang ginawa ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) sa iba't ibang kahindik-hindik na kaso ng sensura sa kasaysayan ng bansa at ng daigdig.

Mahaba ang listahan ng mga librong sinubukang ipagbawal ng mga nasa kapangyarihan. Sa pagtatala ng Wikipedia, makikita ang ilang kilalang titulo at iskolar, gaya nina Galileo, Marx, at Darwin. Idagdag pa rito ang literal na pagsusunog ng mga akda, mula sa kampanya ni Bishop Diego de Landa laban sa mga manuskritong Maya noong ika-16 na siglo hanggang sa book burning ng rehimeng Nazi noong ika-20 siglo.

Samu't sari rin ang dahilan sa likod ng pagbabawal: mga dahilang pampulitika, panrelihiyon, usapin ng kasarian at sekswalidad, at marami pang iba. Ang tila tanging pagkakapareho sa mga kaso ay ang takot na dala ng mga salitang nakalathala na nagdudulot ng pagkabahala sa mga makapangyarihang salaula.

Napabantog ang mga nobela ni Jose Rizal sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas dahil sa pagbabawal na ginawa ng pamahalaang kolonyal. Hindi ba sumagi sa isip ng mga ahente ng NTF-ELCAC na naging susi ang pagsensura sa Noli me tangere at El filibusterismo upang lalong maipamukha sa mambabasa ang katotohanan ng laganap na paniniil na inilalarawan ng mga akda? Marahil, kailangan nilang dagdagan ang kanilang mga dapat basahin, at hindi ang listahan ng mga tekstong uusigin.

Sensura rin ang naging panakot sa mga nagtanghal ng "seditious plays" noong panahon ng mga Amerikano, mga gerilyang pahayagan noong panahon ng Hapon, o ang mga pasabog na exposé gaya ng The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos ni Primitivo Mijares noong batas militar. Nakapanghihilakbot, subalit kalauna'y nalagot rin ang tanikala ng mga rehimeng ito; pero ang mga akdang pinilit nilang ibaon sa limot, sa kasalukuya'y itinuturing na bahagi ng kayamanan ng bayan.

Sa buktot na pagtingin, inaakala ng mga nasa kapangyarihan na ang pagsikil sa pagkalat ng teksto ay sapat na para tuldukan ang mga ideyang nais nilang pigilan. Subalit kasaysayan na rin ang magtuturo, gaya sa mga halimbawang nailahad sa itaas, na ang mga "subersibong ideya" ay hindi lang kalipunan ng mga salita kundi produkto ng kolektibong pagkilos ng mga taong naninindigan.

Nalagpasan ng Noli at Fili ang sensura dahil sa lakas ng loob ng mga Pilipinong nagpupuslit ng mga nobela ni Rizal. Itinaya ng mga artistang panteatro at gerilyang mamamahayag ang kanilang buhay upang magdaos ng pagtatanghal at maglimbag ng diyaryo sa ngalan ng ganap na kasarinlan. Umikot ang mga dokumento ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas sa panahon ng batas militar dahil sa organisadong pagkilos ng mga kadreng lumalaban sa diktadurya. Masunog man ang mga pahina o masamsam ang mga kopya, hindi nito mapapahupa ang sama-samang pagtindig laban sa anumang porma ng paniniil.

Gayumpaman, itinuturo rin ng kasaysayan na habang nananatili ang mga istrukturang nagbibigay ng labis na kapangyarihan sa iilan, magpapatuloy ang paniniil. Ang nangyari sa Kalinga State University, Isabela State University, at Aklan State University-mga state colleges and universities na kapos na nga sa badyet mula sa estado, pero heto't binabawasan pa ng mga libro sa aklatan-ay pihadong maulit kung hindi babalikwas ang mamamayan. Ang book purging ay maaari ring umusbong bilang ibang porma ng pagyurak sa demokratikong karapatan kung hahayaan lamang.
Dahil rito, hindi matatawaran ang tugon ng iba't ibang sektor para tutulan ang book purging ng rehimeng Duterte. Mula sa hanay ng guro, mag-aaral, relihiyoso, artista-maging mga librarian-nadinig ang sabay-sabay na pagkundena sa atrasadong pag-iisip na nasa likod ng pagtatanggal ng mga libro sa mga aklatan. Pantapat sa mala-medieval throwback ng NTF-ELCAC, inilunsad kamakailan ang website na Aswang sa Aklatan ( https://handsoffourlibraries.crd.co/); kung hindi magagawang maibalik ang mga tinanggal na libro sa mga aklatan, bakit hindi ito ilagay online para mas maraming mag-aaral at mamamayan pa ang magkaroon ng akses?

Ang nakakatawa (o sa isang banda, nakalulungkot) sa ginagawa ng NTF-ELCAC, ni hindi nga maitururing na subersibo ang mga akdang nais nitong tanggalin mula sa mga aklatan. Paano magiging "iligal" ang mga dokumentong pinirmahan ng mismong gobyerno ng Pilipinas para kilalanin ang halaga ng usapang pangkapayapaan at karapatang pantao? Nabasa na ba nila ang nilalaman ng The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992, Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), at iba pang mga katulad na kasunduan ng Gobyerno ng Republika ng Pilipinas (GRP) at National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)?

O nais bang ipakita ng rehimeng ito na tutol ito sa paglaganap ng mga ideya ng usapang kapayapaan at paggalang sa karapatang pantao? Noon at ngayon, yaong mga bagay at konseptong pilit ikinukubli ng tao mula sa iba ang siyang naglalantad ng kanyang mga tunay na pagpapahalaga. Noon at ngayon, sa ubos-lakas na pagsusumikap ng isang rehimeng magtakda ng mga ideyang bawal, lalo lamang nitong inilalagay ang sarili sa bingit ng pagkabuwal.
* Ang awtor ay isa sa mga kasapi ng Tanggol Kasaysayan, isang grupong nabuo nang tanggalin ang History subjects sa K-12 curriculum. Siya ay propesor sa Department of History ng Ateneo de Manila University at associate editor ng Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnograhic Viewpoints.

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Mga salitang bawal, mga rehimeng nabuwal - Bulatlat

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Sa buktot na pagtingin, inaakala ng mga nasa kapangyarihan na ang pagsikil sa pagkalat ng teksto ay sapat na para tuldukan ang mga ideyang nais nilang pigilan. Subalit kasaysayan na rin ang magtuturo, gaya sa mga halimbawang nailahad sa itaas, na ang mga "subersibong ideya" ay hindi lang kalipunan ng mga salita kundi produkto ng kolektibong pagkilos ng mga taong naninindigan.

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https://iskomunidad.upd.edu.ph/images/7/74/02_UAT_EP69_OCT29.mp3

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https://opinion.inquirer.net/148297/instead-of-banning-subversive-books-improve-peoples-literacy?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1641244764

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The removal of books with "subversive content" from state university libraries confirms the nation's status as an underdeveloped country. In fact, it lowers the level of our civilization.

These so-called subversive books, alongside books on anti-communism and the local anti-communist movement in libraries, would have been a good sign of cultural maturity. University libraries must have an ample collection of books of various persuasions and viewpoints for use by students and teachers for their academic needs. This will enrich the capability of our scholars to come out with more objective, meaningful, and relevant research.

Reportedly, it was the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) through the military that "harassed" library personnel to withdraw these "subversive" materials (more specifically, books authored by Jose Ma. Sison and the National Democratic Front).

If the NTF-Elcac believes that the government has the right formula for national development, it should not be afraid of books that are accessible only to those in the academe (being in university libraries). If these agents of the state and preservers of the status quo believe that what they are doing is for the good of the country, then they should not be threatened by documents that present alternative socio-political-economic analyses and alternative programs for the people's welfare and the nation's development.

In fact, these kinds of books should be read by more people outside of the academe, especially the rabid anti-communists, so they will know what communism is all about (its history, meaning, and the personalities behind it) and they will have an educated understanding of why they are against it.

The government should be happy that groups and individuals are condemning the withdrawal of the "subversive" books. It means there are still Filipinos who value culture and reading. Instead of withdrawing books from state university libraries, the government should focus on the more basic problem of improving literacy among our people.
Julie L. Po, Linangan ng Kulturang Pilipino
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Instead of banning 'subversive' books, improve people's literacy

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The removal of books with "subversive content" from state university libraries confirms the nation's status as an underdeveloped country. In fact, it lowers the level of our civilization. These so-called subversive books, alongside books on anti-communism and the local anti-communist movement in libraries, would have been a good sign of cultural maturity.

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UP Diliman University Student Council - Posts | Facebook

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Keepers of ‘Radical Papers’ at UP Main Library vow not to yield a page | Inquirer News

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Keepers of ‘Radical Papers’ at UP Main Library vow not to yield a page

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MANILA, Philippines — When President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972 and extended his rule as dictator, the University of the Philippines Main Library became a repository for the

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Pahayagang KAPP on Twitter: "JUST IN: STATE PROP ON REMOVAL OF 'SUBVERSIVE' MATERIALS SCATTERED IN UP State propaganda posters were seen around UP Diliman regarding the removal of "subversive" materials in state universities and colleges, a source reports. #HandsOffOurLibraries #DefendAcademicFreedom https://t.co/zqEdM6UsBr" / Twitter

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Student Christian Movement of the Philippines - SCMP - Posts | Facebook

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UP Business Administration Council (BAC) - Posts | Facebook

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Panday Sining UP Los Baños - Posts | Facebook

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UP Kasaysayan - Posts | Facebook

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UP CSWCD Student Council - Posts | Facebook

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CMO No. 22 s. 2021 - Requirements for Library of HEIs Common to All Programs.pdf - Google Drive

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CMO No. 22 s. 2021 - Requirements for Library of HEIs Common to All Programs.pdf

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Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights - Posts | Facebook

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ALERTA KATIPUNAN! Handog ng CONTEND UP at Roel's Bookshop

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UP SLIS Student Council's I AM A RELIABLE SOURCE: Library and Information Science in Philippine Elections

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Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights - Posts | Facebook

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HANDS OFF OUR LIBRARIES! UPHOLD ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN UNIVERSITIES!

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Banned & Challenged Classics | Advocacy, Legislation & Issues (ala.org)

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Pahayag ng UP Diliman Office of the Chancellor Executive Staff sa Pagtatanggal ng mga Subersibong Libro mula sa mga Aklatan

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UPD calls out removal of ‘subversive’ resources from libraries (dzup.org)

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UPD calls out removal of ‘subversive’ resources from libraries

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Campus executives condemn withdrawal of ‘subversive’ documents, learning paraphernalia from Aklan, Isabela, and Kalinga state universities.

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UPD calls out removal of ‘subversive’ resources from libraries

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Book Development Association of the Philippines - Posts | Facebook

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CONTEND: CHED MUST STOP MISREPRESENTING ACADEMIC FREEDOM

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Opisyal na Pahayag ng UMAGA-Ateneo
Hinggil sa Nangyayaring Book Purging sa mga Aklatan

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Philippine Collegian - Posts | Facebook

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MALAYANG AKLATAN, MAPAGPALAYANG ISIPAN

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UPD CHESC STATEMENT ON THE BOOK PURGING AND THE STATEMENT OF CHED COMMISSIONER POPOY DE VERA

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AN OPEN LETTER TO NTF-ELCAC AND CHED ON RECENT BOOK PURGING

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HANDS OFF OUR LIBRARIES!

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UP DEFEND LIBRARY! NO TO PURGING SUBVERSIVE BOOKS!

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[STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM]

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OPISYAL NA PAHAYAG NG PAGTUTOL NG UP CMC FST KONSE SA MGA NAGDAANG PAG-ATAKE SA ATING PANG-AKADEMIKONG KALAYAAN

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SYSTEM-WIDE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SPEAKS UP: BOOK PURGES ARE PRACTICED BY DICTATORSHIPS

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Mga estudyante at guro ng UP, kinundena ang pahayag ng CHED sa sensura sa mga silid-aklatan | KALASAG (wordpress.com)

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Protect our Libraries, Defend Academic Freedom!

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HANDS OFF OUR LIBRARIES! | UP Writers Club

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Book bans and burning | Inquirer Opinion

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People tend to think of strict security checks as having started after the bombing of New York’s Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, but in the Philippines, university students had a taste of such checks

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OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF UP CESC ON LIBRARY PURGING

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Statement regarding the NTF-ELCAC’s entry in schools in Panay

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UP BAGUIO: On the Regional Memo on the Removal of "Subversive" books From Libraries in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)

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KATRIBU - UP Diliman Chapter: HANDS OFF OUR LIBRARIES!

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Aswang sa Aklatan: Digital Archive

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What Is Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights?

We are an alliance of Filipino teachers, researchers, school administrators, and other education professionals who stand for democratic rights and freedom in the academe and beyond. It has campaigned against laws and policies, such as the Anti-Terror Law and the crackdown on activists, that constrict the ability of individuals and groups to express dissent and organize themselves based on their political convictions. It conducts discussions and mass actions to advocate for structural reforms in education, teachers' rights and welfare, and solidarity with the basic masses.

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What Is Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights? We are an alliance of Filipino teachers, researchers, school administrators, and other education professionals who stand for democratic rights and freedom in the academe and beyond.

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The Real Subversion: A Statement by UP Professors Emeriti on the Banning of “Subversive” Books

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HANDS OFF OUR LIBRARIES! DEFEND UP!
Nagkakaisang Tugon laban sa Pahayag ni CHED Chairman De Vera

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Z711.4.D30 2021: Hands Off Our Libraries! Defend UP!

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Statement on the Regional Memo on the Removal of “Subversive” Books from Libraries in the CAR – University of the Philippines (up.edu.ph)

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UNITED STANCE OF ALL UP SECTORAL REGENTS, STUDENT COUNCILS, AND UNIONS FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM

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#BannedBooksReadingChallenge

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#ThrowbackKasaysayan Episode 51: “BOOK BANNING AND LIBRARY CENSORSHIP: PAST & PRESENT" - YouTube

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#ThrowbackKasaysayan Episode 51: “BOOK BANNING AND LIBRARY CENSORSHIP: PAST & PRESENT"

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#HandsOffOurLibraries: Scholars protest removal of ‘subversive’ books from Philippine universities · Global Voices

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Libraries in the Philippines are under threat as the Duterte government's anti-communist task force, the NTF-ELCAC, have been removing books deemed "subversive" from library shelves. But such assaults on academic freedom, which drew comparisons to Nazi book burnings, have also sparked opposition from the academic community.

Last 1 September 2021, policemen and soldiers forced a librarian to remove "radical" books from the Kalinga State University library in Tabuk City, 458 kilometers north of the capital Manila. A week later, Isabela State University, in the northern Luzon province of Isabela, "voluntarily" turned over "communist" books in its library to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

The Aklan State University on the central Philippine island of Panay followed by "surrendering" so-called "mentally unhealthy" books in its library after the Aklan Police Provincial Office reached out. Similarly, the University of Antique told the anti-communist task force in Panay Island that it has "no subversive books" in its libraries.

These intrusions into universities occur as the Duterte government intensifies its counterinsurgency war against the longest-running communist rebellion in the world. Students, faculty, and academic institutions have been targeted by vicious red-tagging or accusations of being "communist rebels" - a label that is often the prelude to arrests on trumped-up charges or, worse, extrajudicial killings.

Online petitions

Faculty, librarians, researchers, and other members of the academic community have banded together in several initiatives to push back against the Duterte administration's extension of its "anti-communist" crusade into academic spaces.

The Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights (ADHR), an alliance of Filipino teachers, researchers, school administrators, and other education professionals, launched an online petition that had gathered 422 signatures as of this piece's publication.

An attack on the library is an attack on the very heart of the University itself. It is an attack on the freedoms of thought and expression which are the very foundations of academic freedom.

Please sign our here petition: https://t.co/WhZ2H8zqnn#HandsOffOurLibraries pic.twitter.com/UfS6qfgdnk

- k. (@OneDividesToTwo) October 2, 2021

Peace advocates under the Citizens' Alliance for Just Peace (CAJP) say the Duterte government's book censorship will have a negative impact on potential future peace negotiations as a means to end the armed conflict:

In the guise of "protecting youth and students from being deceived and recruited by communists", the NTF-ELCAC is actually stifling critical thought and open-minded study into the socio-economic roots of armed conflict. Just when this divided nation needs to grow the next generation of peace builders instead of warmongers, school administrations are lured into agreeing to outright censorship and thought control.

Book designer Karl Castro , also a lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, observes in a Rappler commentary:

The ADHR also launched the "Aswang sa Aklatan" (Aswang in the Library) website on November 1, 2021. The are feared Filipino mythical creatures that disguise themselves as ordinary townsfolk by day but feed on human flesh at night.

Speaking during the website's launch, Dean Mary Grace Golfo-Barcelona of the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) points out the real aswang as those who attack libraries and the exchange of ideas:

Ang mga aswang na dapat katakutan sa aklatan ay hindi mga sulatin na nagsusulong sa malayang pag-iisip at kaalaman bagkus mga bagay na sumusupil sa malayang kaalaman at kalayaang intelektwal ng bawat nilalang na pumapasok sa loob ng aklatan.

The aswang that we should be afraid of are not the writings that advance free thinking and knowledge but those who repress the free information and intellectual freedom of everyone who enters the library.

The new website features updates on the #HandsOffOurLibraries campaign, including links to news articles covering the military's book censorship spree and a compilation of statements by different sectors on the issue.

The website also hosts the online archive that provides "free and easily accessible resource of endangered books and materials," including peace talk primers and radical books on the military's blacklist as well as references about Marcos' dictatorship era.

Among the books that had been seized by the military are booklets of the peace agreements between the Philippine government and the National Democratic of the Philippines, including, among others, "The Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law" (CARHIHL). Also confiscated were books by Jose Maria Sison, the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The online repository is dubbed " Multong Aklat" which in English means the "Spectre of Books" alluding to the opening line of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels's Communist Manifesto.

#HandsOffOurLibraries

The #HandsOffOurLibraries campaign continues to resonate as assaults on freedoms intensify, the latest episode being the Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) defense of the removal of "communist-terrorist" books from libraries as an "exercise of academic freedom."

CHED's office at the Cordillera Administrative Region issued a memo earlier calling on all universities and colleges to surrender so-called "subversive" books and materials to authorities.

Yet as the Duterte government seeks to tighten its control over the free exchange of ideas and critical thinking, more and more are joining the call to defend libraries and academic freedom.

LOOK: Librarians, professors, researchers, and students from the University of the Philippines and other SUCs take a stand against book censorship and attacks on academic freedom! #HandsOffOurLibraries!

"The library is the heart of the university."#DefendAcademicFreedom! pic.twitter.com/TDKYlzNo98

- CONTEND UP #NoToRedTagging #JunkTerrorLaw (@CONTEND_UP) October 29, 2021

Disclosure: The author is a member of the Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights.

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#HandsOffOurLibraries: Scholars protest removal of 'subversive' books from Philippine universities

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Libraries in the Philippines are under threat as the Duterte government's anti-communist task force, the NTF-ELCAC, have been removing books deemed "subversive" from library shelves. But such assaults on academic freedom, which drew comparisons to Nazi book burnings, have also sparked opposition from the academic community.

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In defense of academic freedom, teachers make 'subversive' books accessible - Bulatlat

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"If we are truly free and democratic, we allow our citizens to have free and open access to information for them to critically think about their decisions and fully participate in democratic processes and uphold human rights and social justice all of which are embedded in our constitution."

MANILA - In light of the pulling out of books from the libraries of universities, members of the academe developed a website where books deemed to be subversive by the government are uploaded and can be downloaded for free.

Kicking off the National Reading Month and the Library and Information Science month, Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights launched the website dubbed as " Multong Aklat Endangered Books Digital Archive," on Monday, Nov. 1.

The digital archive has collection of published works by Karl Marx, Filipino authors like the late Alice Guillermo, martial law literature, and publications printed by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) that were recently pulled out by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) from libraries of some state colleges and universities.

The academe has strongly opposed this move of the NTF-ELCAC saying that "an attack on the library is an attack on the very heart of the University itself. It is an attack on the freedoms of thought and expression which are the very foundations of academic freedom."
Read: 'Purging of books is an attack on academic freedom'
There is also an ongoing online petition to protect libraries and universities from military and police incursion.

Supporters also expressed their solidarity to this call.

Dean Mary Grace Golfo-Barcelona of the UP School of Libraries and Information Studies (SLC) said libraries are a safe place in universities where students and researchers can conduct their studies.

Golfo-Barcelona reiterated that "libraries support democracy by providing equal opportunities for varying points of view to be discovered and considered by its readers."

"If we are truly free and democratic, we allow our citizens to have free and open access to information for them to critically think about their decisions and fully participate in democratic processes and uphold human rights and social justice all of which are embedded in our constitution," she added.

Julie Po, owner of Popular Bookstore, meanwhile, said that censoring libraries is backwardness. She said their book sales would show that only few people read books. Thus, she said, the government should encourage people to read.

"Teach people to read books and give them freedom to read whatever they want to read," she said, adding that this can contribute to the betterment of society.

She expressed support to the call #HandsOffOurLibraries because as a bookstore that also offers publications, which are deemed "subversive," she does not discount the possibility that the same incident will also happen to their bookstore.

Artist and designer Karl Castro meanwhile said that the government should keep away from the libraries. He challenged the NTF ELCAC to donate their entire budget to libraries and publishing.

"Let's give people books for free instead of giving them away. Let's see what will happen," he added.

Castro said the digital archive is still a work in progress as more publications will be uploaded to the website for all to access and read. There are also other resources that they included in the website. He said censorship is also happening abroad.

The digital archive can be accessed here: https://handsoffourlibraries.crd.co/.

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In defense of academic freedom, teachers make 'subversive' books accessible - Bulatlat

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"If we are truly free and democratic, we allow our citizens to have free and open access to information for them to critically think about their decisions and fully participate in democratic processes and uphold human rights and social justice all of which are embedded in our constitution." By ANNE MARXZE D.

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𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗣 𝗗𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗧𝗚 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆

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UP Visayas engages Regional Task Force-ELCAC

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Library school dean: Removal of 'subversive' readings is censorship | Philstar.com

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MANILA, Philippines - Attempts to remove supposedly subversive materials from school libraries are a form of censorship and go against librarians' roles in promoting intellectual freedom, the dean of the UP School of Library and Information Studies said.

According to a report on Rappler, the Commission on Higher Education-Cordillera Administrative Region is urging higher education institutions in the region to remove materials "that contain pervasive ideologies of the Communist-Terrorist Groups (CTGs)" from ther libraries. CTG is the government term for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front.

"Removing materials from the libraries which are deemed 'subversive' is an assault [on] our students' right to read and right to information which are all components of intellectual freedom and are essential components of a democratic citizenry," Assistant Professor Mary Grace Golfo-Barcelona said in an exchange with Philstar.com.

She said that allowing censorship of a library collection would be harmful to students, librarians and the libraries themselves. By removing materials because of their ideological content, students "are deprived of their right to read, right to information, basically their freedom to information."

According to CHED-CAR, the materials need to be removed because these would radicalize students. But Golfo-Barcelona stressed that it "is wrong to believe that you become what you read."

She said that an individual's character is formed not just by the information they have access to "but by the totality of all the student's environment, upbringing and experience."

Including supposedly subversive materials in library collections is "meant to clarify, to develop understanding, and as support to academic exercises but [is] not meant to influence them to adhere to certain ideologies, beliefs, or practice," she also said.

She added that "book banning, and censorship are not the solutions, instead, a more holistic and inclusive approach should be adopted to solve a systemic problem."

Librarians have duty to resist censorship

Dean Golfo-Barcelona said that librarians "have a role to develop the intellectual capacity of the whole citizenry. As such, part of our Code of Ethics, specifically states that we, librarians should resist all forms of censorship."

Librarians, who are required to take professional board exams, pledge "that even under threat, we will strive for the freedom to read and for the other basic freedoms inherent in a democracy," she also said.

The Code of Ethics for Registered Librarians, approved by the Professional Regulation Commission in 1992 holds that "librarians should help to create and maintain conditions under which scholarship can exist like freedom of inquiry, of thought and of expression."

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions meanwhile holds in its Code of Ethics for Librarians and other Information Workers that "librarians and other information workers reject the denial and restriction of access to information and ideas most particularly through censorship whether by states, governments, or religious or civil society institutions."

UP SLIS is a Commission on Higher Education-certified Center of Excellence, which means it "continuously demonstrates excellent performance in the areas of instruction, research and publication, extension and linkages and institutional qualifications."

Philstar.com sought comment from a representative of the Philippine Regulation Commission Board for Librarians but they declined, saying they had yet to see the CHED-CAR memorandum themselves.

Karapatan: Assault on academic freedom as state policy

In a separate statement this week, rights group Karapatan said the CHED-CAR memo "makes it very clear that this brazen attack on academic freedom is a State policy" directed by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

"The NTF-ELCAC is gearing for an insidious campaign of censorship through the purging of 'subversive' materials from the libraries of schools and universities - recalling the horrors of the Marcos dictatorship's raids on libraries and even the book burnings of the Nazis," she said.

"CHED-CAR should be ashamed of themselves for betraying their mandate to protect academic freedom by becoming willing agents of the NTF-ELCAC's abominable attacks."

The CHED-CAR memo, issued by regional director Demetrio Anduyan Jr., was released after three state universities in September pulled out materials related to the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the NDF as well as other "subversive" materials from their libraries, Karapatan said.

The documents - surrendered by Kalinga State University in Tabuk City, Isabela State University in Isabela City, and Aklan State University in Banga - were then turned over to either the military, the regional ELCAC body, or the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

Why does this matter?

Republic Act No. 7722, the law that established CHED in 1994, opens with a declaration that the state "shall ensure and protect academic freedom and shall promote its exercise and observance for the continuing intellectual growth."

Section 13 of the same law guarantees academic freedom in universities and colleges.

Former University of the Cordilleras president Ray Salvosa said in the Rappler report that exposure "to everything" in the academe is critical for students to learn to think for themselves.

"[T]he search for truth should not have any blindfolds or limits imposed on it," he said. "When an institution decides what you can and cannot read, that is the same thing as telling you what you can or cannot think about."

Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay said that the memo's "broad and arbitrary definition of 'subversive materials' sets a perilous justification to not only pull out publications tagged as such but to surveil academics, scholars, authors, teachers, and students who read, write, and use them."

"We strongly call on schools, universities, and libraries to denounce and resist these attacks on academic freedom and to safeguard free academic discourse in their halls." - Bella Perez-Rubio with Jonathan de Santos

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Library school dean: Removal of 'subversive' readings is censorship

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MANILA, Philippines - Attempts to remove supposedly subversive materials from school libraries are a form of censorship and go against librarians' roles in promoting intellectual freedom, the dean of the UP School of Library and Information Studies said.

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Malinaw sa aming mga kabataan na walang maidudulot na maganda ang pag-sensura sa mga aklatan. Kung nais ng gobyerno ng kaginhawaan, bakit hindi maglaan ng sapat na pondo sa mga batayang sektor ng lipunan, sa mga aklatan at paaralan? Kung nais ng gobyerno ng kapayapaan, bakit hindi ituloy ang peace talks, maging patas sa mga polisiya, itigil ang pandarahas?

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Gantala Press - Posts (facebook.com)

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Episode 11: #HandsOffOurLibraries with China de Vera, Jandeil Roperos, and Kathleen Obille

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Listen to this episode from Chicas: A Gantala Press Podcast on Spotify. In this episode we speak with China de Vera of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Jandeil Roperos of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, and Kathleen Obille of the University of the Philippines School of Library and Information Studies about the recent purging of books on the people's protracted war and the National Democratic Front from universities and libraries in Northern Philippines by the reactionary government through its state forces.

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Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights - Posts | Facebook

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CHED-Cordillera asks schools to rid libraries of ‘subversive’ materials (rappler.com)

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CHED-Cordillera asks schools to rid libraries of ‘subversive’ materials

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Critics say the move is reminiscent of Nazi tactics of pillaging public libraries, universities, and bookshops for materials written by ‘subversive’ authors. ‘It was not long before the regime that started burning books ended up burning people.’

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UP School of Library and Information Studies Student Council (UP SLIS SC)

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Twitter @sc_upslis
Email: sc.upslis@gmail.com

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Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy - Posts | Facebook

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Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights - Posts (facebook.com)

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UPSLIS - Posts (facebook.com)

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UP SLIS Student Council - Posts | Facebook

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College Editors Guild of the Philippines - Posts | Facebook

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https://www.rappler.com/voices/ispeak/opinion-who-afraid-of-books-libraries

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Our colonial history saw the censorship of ideas that promote a scientific world outlook, self-determination, and liberation. The indigeneous culture of the indios was destroyed and assimilated into the colonial superstructure. During American colonization, even the mere display of the flag was deemed illegal, and performances and writings that promote patriotism were banned.

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Our colonial history saw the censorship of ideas that promote a scientific world outlook, self-determination, and liberation. The indigeneous culture of the indios was destroyed and assimilated into the colonial superstructure. During American colonization, even the mere display of the flag was deemed illegal, and performances and writings that promote patriotism were banned.