Posted on

Dear Honorable Ass. Secretary

barros-mural

Dear Honorable Ass. Secretary Celine Pialago of the MMDA:

This is what you said, and I’ll translate as accurately as I could:

“Not all mothers in jail were able to attend the burial of their child. So to those who sympathize with Reina Mae Nasino, know full well the reason why she is in jail, and recognize full well what she is [or stands for] in society. You’re turning your lamentations into an afternoon drama series. Just stop!”

Let me tell you a story that’s somehow related.

Continue reading “Dear Honorable Ass. Secretary”
Posted on

We fought back

Manila rally vs US-Marcos dictatorship circa 1984-85

WE FOUGHT BACK, FROM DAY 1 TO DAY 4,904. Sorry if this sounds too blunt and insensitive, but when I’m asked about my worst memories of martial law—the raids and arrests, the salvage and massacre cases, the anguish of people looking for their missing loved ones, the torture and trauma, etc.—I tend to push them down into the background, into the subconscious.

Continue reading “We fought back”