[Rappler’s Best] The struggle against forgetting

EDJOP. Edgar “Edjop” Jopson in an undated archival photo. The Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation Heart-wrenching, honest, humane, 'Edjop' is told through the eyes of his daughter who never knew him and grew up resenting him and the path he had chosen The commemoration of the Martial Law declaration by Ferdinand Marcos is marked by various cultural reflections on the Filipino struggle against forgetting, including the biopic 'Edjop' and the book 'Difficult: The Life and Times of Etta Rosales.' The Supreme Court has directed Congress to enact an anti-political dynasty law, highlighting the ongoing issue of political families in the Philippines, particularly evident in the recent elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Recent political troubles involve powerful families, including former Speaker Martin Romualdez facing plunder charges and the Villar family facing graft complaints, amidst ongoing impeachment proceedings for Vice President Sara Duterte. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. It’s been more than half a century today, September 21, since Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law, became a dictator, and looted not only the nation’s coffers but also its hopes. (Check this list of activities to commemorate it.) No coincidence therefore that the month has also seen on screen, on stage, and in print various efforts that reflect the Filipino memory’s struggle against forgetting. I watched Edjop over the weekend with my daughter, the biopic of the Atenista — “only a son of a grocer,” as Marcos infamously told him to his face — who organized students and workers through a reformist agenda until he got radicalized and joined the communist New People’s Army. Edjop was killed by soldiers 44 Septembers ago, after attempting to escape from a safehouse in Davao City. The movie in fact opens with this scene — a story also etched in my memory because one of the young lieutenants who did surveillance on him would, a decade later, become my trusted source in the military. Directed by Katskie Flores, Edjop — heart-wrenching, honest, humane — is told through the eyes of his daughter who never knew him and grew up resenting him and the path he had chosen; Joyette Jopson was only three when he died. There’s also the indefatigable 87-year-old Etta Rosales, whose journey from activism to communism to mainstream politics to government is captured in Difficult: The Life and Times of Etta Rosales, written by Ateneo professor Carmel Abao. Difficult will be launched at the Arété, Ateneo, today at 4 pm. At Aréte a few weekends ago, the play Subversive Lives also introduced theater-goers to the Quimpo family, whose seven out of 10 siblings joined the anti-Marcos revolution, with one of them getting killed and another forcibly disappeared, a desaparecido. The producers are planning a rerun next year; learn more about the book that inspired the play here. One of the imprints of Martial Law is the continued anarchy of families in politics and business, to borrow Alfred McCoy’s words. It’s one of the reasons the commission that crafted the post-Marcos Constitution banned political dynasties. To this day, that ban has not been legislated. Last week, however, in a landmark and unanimous decision, the Supreme Court directed Congress to comply with its duty to enact an anti-political dynasty law, granting the petitions that had sought its intercession. Why is the High Court telling Congress what to do? Because, as the justices said, “judicial inaction in the face of legislative paralysis would amount to constitutional abdication,” Jairo Bolledo wrote in this report. As part of our series on political dynasties, we look into the clans and their loyalist mentality in Ilocos Norte and their survival skills in Camarines Sur. The enduring power of families is nowhere more evident than in the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) held on September 14. For instance, the son of former chief minister and leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Ebrahim Murad, was elected district representative. In Basilan, the Hatamans won seats in the third and fourth districts. A set of familiar family names won in Central Mindanao as well: Mangudadatu and Ampatuan. A clan matriarch and another family patriarch won in Lanao del Sur as district representatives. The challenge now is not so much to build a coalition as it is to govern, wrote Tom Villarin in this piece. He argued that the clans represent clear constituencies and whose influence should not be belittled in parliament. Check how the rest of BARMM voted. Speaking of families, there’s serious trouble in two of the country’s most powerful: Presidential cousin and former speaker Martin Romualdez was jailed last week in Payatas, Quezon City, over plunder charges filed by his fraternity mate and appointee of his cousin, Ombudsman Boying Remulla. The Villars — two of whom are senators — now face graft complaints before the Ombudsman over their botched PrimeWater contracts. Would these complaints have any impact on the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte? This week, the senators are scheduled to decide on the voting threshold needed to convict Duterte. Three of the four ex-justices invited to advise the court last week pointed out that the number is not fixed at 16. I end this with remembrance of our dear Tita Eggie Apostol, founder of the Philippine Daily Inquirer where many of today’s veteran journalists like me first worked. She died last week. There will never be another Tita Eggie — blessed with charm, gifted with wit, and wired with courage. Here are some of Rappler’s bests that you shouldn’t miss: Jairo Bolledo walks us through Rodrigo Duterte’s first personal appearance at his hearing in the International Criminal Court. James Patrick Cruz connects the dots between a company linked to the catering services of Vice President Sara Duterte and Davao City Hall. Lance Spencer Yu provides a reality check on the much touted Luzon Economic Corridor. Part 1 here. Part 2 here. – Rappler.com Rappler’s Best is a weekly Rappler+ exclusive newsletter of our top picks delivered straight to your inbox every Monday. Visit rappler.com/newsletters to subscribe. The views expressed by the writer are his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Rappler. How does this make you feel? Loading