Article: Paggawad ng Hustisya: Ang Audiencia Royal at ang Kaso ng Hacienda Calamba

Note: Isa itong buod ng term paper na ipinasa sa para sa aking kurso sa Kasaysayan -Ang Pilipinas noong Ika-19 na Siglo sa UP Diliman. Nais ko itong ibahagi. Kung mayroon mang pagkakamali ay ipinagpapaumanhin ng may-akda. 

Hindi lingid sa ating kaalaman na ang sistema ng hudikatura na kasalukyang umiiral sa bansa ay iba sa sistema noong panahon ng mga kastila. Ang sistema sa kasalukyan at pinaghalong batas na naiwan ng pamahalaang kastila gaya ng Kodigo Sibil, Kodigo ng Komersyo, at ang Kodigo Penal na niribesa bago ang pagtatag ng pamahalaang komonwealt. ^[1] Sa mga kasong kailangan ng pinal na desisyon, ang maari lamang na tumgon sa problema ay ang Korte Suprema base sa ating Saligang-Batas ng 1987, Artikulo VIII.[2]

Noong panahon ng mga Kastila ay sinikap ng Hari ng Espanya na magkaroon ng Hudisyal na sistema ang kolonya na Filipinas. Sa pamamagitan ng isang Decreto Royal ay binuo ang Audiencia Royal noong May 5, 1853. Ayon sa dekreto ni haring Filipe II:

“Whereas, in the interest of good government and administration of our justice, we have accorded the establishment of Audiencia Royals xxx [3]

We have granted that the said Audiencia shall have the same Authority and preeminence as each one of our Audiencia Royals which sit in the town of Valladolid and the City of Granada of these are realms, and the other audiencias in our Yndias: xxx”

Ayon pa sa nasabing Diskreto Royal, ang kataas-taasang Hukumang ito ay bubuuin ng isang Pangulo, tatlong auditors o oidores, isang Fiscal at ang mga kinakailangang opisyales.[4]  Ngunit ano nga ba ang kapangyarihan na saklaw ng Audiencia Royal? Paano nga ba ito gumalaw noong panahon ng mga Kastila. Ibibgay nating halimbawa ang kaso ng Hacienda Calamba noong 1888.

Ang Gobernador-Heneral at Kapitan-Heneral ang tumatayong Pangulo ng tribunal.[5] Dahil siya din ay gumaganap na Ehekutibo sa pamamahala ng kolonya ay hindi siya masyadong tutok sa nasabing posisyon kayat kung minsan ay lumalagda siya sa isang desisyong ni hindi manlang niya napag-aralan o nasaksihan ang paglilitis.[6]   

            Apat na Oidores ang bumubuo sa pinakamataas na tribunal sa Filipinas. Kasama ang isang Fiscal, na siyang nagdedemanda at nagtatanggol sa ngalan ng hari at sa kapakanan ng mga nasasakupan nito.[7] Silang mga myembro ng tribunal ang ay mga makapangyarihang indibidual na ang pagtatalaga ay nagmula pa sa Hari ng Espanya. Lamang, wala silang karapatang makisangkot sa negosyo, kalakalan at komersyo, pagtatanim at paghahayupan. Kung lalabag ang isang isa sa kanila ay pagmumultahin ng sampung ducat at pagkatanggal sa serbisyo. Ipinagbabawal din para sa kanila ang bumisita ng pribado sa mga bahay ng mga taong kanilang nasasakupan. Hindi rin sila dapat maging Ninong o Ninang sa mga kasal o binyag.[8]

Kabilang din ang Aguacil Mayor, Tiniente del granchancilleir at mga kawani, kung kinakailangan. 

Bagamat noong panahon ng mga kastila, ang Simbahan at Pamahalaan ay may  pagiisang posisyon ngunit magkaibang layunin sa pagpapatupad ng mg autos ng Haris sa Filipinas, ang Audiencia naman ay may saklaw na makialam sa pang-aabuso at paglabag sa batas ng mga Prayle. Maari niyang gamitin ang Ehekutibo, sa pamamagitan ng opisina ng Gobernador-Heneral na siyang magpapatupad ng batas sa pamamagitan ng mga Guardia-Civil nito.[9]  

Bago pa man maitalaga ng Hari ang isang Oidor, kinakailangan munang inomina siya ng Consejo de Indias. Kailangang niyang ilahad, ng may panunumpa, ang kaniyang buhay, pag-aari at posisyon bago siya napili na Oidor ng Hari. Kailangan ang mabusising pagkikilatis na ito sapagkat sa kalaunang ay maari siyang maging Gobernador-Heneral pansamantala sakaling mabakante ang posisyong ito.[10]

Bilang isang Oidor, napakahalaga ang kwalipikasyon at posisyon nito sa pagpapatupad ng mga batas ng Indies at lalu na, dahil sa ang Audiencia ang huling apilasyon ng mga kaso sa Filipinas, ano mang desisyon nito ay maaring bumago sa kasaysayan.

Pagdating sa mga kasong inilatag sa Audiencia, isa sa pinakamalagang kaso na naka apekto sa ating kasaysayan at sa kridibilidad ng Institusyong Hudikatura ng pamahalaang kastila ay ang Isyu ng Hacienda sa Kalamba.

Matapos mapasakamay ng mga prayleng Dominiko ang mga lupain sa Calamba at gawin itong Hacienda, na naglaon ay umunlad at nagging korporasyon, ang buwis na ibinabayad ng mga prayle sa pamahalaan ay halaga ng buwis noon pang pagmamayari ito ng mga Heswita. Sa makatwid, matagal nang nandaraya ang mga dominiko sa pamahalaan hinngil sa buwis nito.[11]

Sumulat si Jose Rizal, isa sa mga may pamilyang nakikuupa sa mga Dominiko sa Calamba, ukol sa isyu na ito na at hiniling na pumagitan na ang pamahalaan ukol sa isyung ito.[12]

Nagkaisa ang mga mamamayan ng Calamba na magsampa ng kaso ng Unang Dulugang Hukuman ng Calamba. Naipanalo nila ang kaso, ngunit dahil maraming pera ang mga Dominiko ay iniangat nila ang kaso sa Audiencia Royal.[13] Ipinagpalagay naman ni Felipe Buencamino, abugado ng mga Rizal hinggil sa isyu ng Hacienda na hindi lamang ito basta laban ng lupa o pera para sa mga dominiko, bagkos laban ng pagbabago hinggil sa pagmamay ari ng mga lupain ng mga dominiko sa Filipinas.[14]

Ipinagpalagay din ng Gobernador-Heneral, Valeriano Weyler na ang apilang ito ng mga tao ng Kalamba sa Audiencia Royal ay pribadong interes at bagkus isang pagkilos tungo sa paghahangad ng kalayaan.[15] Habang naka apila sa Audiencia Royal ang kaso ay isang araw ng Nobyembre, 1889 personal na bumisita ang Gobernador-Heneral sa Calamba at nagbanta na huwag making sa mga “ vain promise of ungrateful sons”. [16]

Dahil dito, binantaan din ng mga Dominiko ang mga mamayan ng Kalamba ng pagpapatalsik sa mga ito sa lupang kanilang inuupahan na pagmamay ari ng mga prayle.[17] Ngunit habang hinihintay ang desisyon Audiencia Royal hinggil sa kaso ay lalong hindi natinag ang mga taga Calamba. Nang panahong iyon ay bumaba ang presyo ng asukal at dumami pa ang dagdag na singil ng mga prayle sa mga mamayan. Nakadagdag pa ang kolera na talaga namang nagpahirap sa mga tao. Dahil dito ay wala ng makain ang karamihan sa mga pamilya sa Calamba. Sa ganitong miserableng sitwasyon, lalo silang nagkaisang ipagtanggol ang kanilang karapatan sa lupa.[18]

Sa huli, nabaliktad ang desisyon ng Unang Dulugan at pumabor ang desisyon ng Audiencia Royal sa mga prayle. Agad na inihanda ni Gobernador-Heneral Weyler ang mga Guardi-Civil at nagtungo sa Calamba upang ikasa ang order of ejectment ng korte. Ang mga nangungupahan sa lupa na may direktang kinalaman sa kaso ay pwersahang pinalayas sa Calamba. Dagdag pa dito ang pagpapatapon sa 25 prominenteng tao sa Calamba na promoter ng nasabing apila. Kabilang na dito ang ilang myembro ng pamilya ni Rizal.

Sa salin ni Nilo S. Ocampo inilarawan ni Austin Coates ang pangyayaring ito sa Calamba ng ganito:

“ Hindi na hinintay ni Heneral Weyler ang resulta ng litigasyon sa Madrid. Xxx Noong 6 Setyembre 1890 pinasok ng mga kawal ang bayan. Mga 30 pamilya, kabilang ang mga Rizal, ang binigyan ng 24 oras para mag impake at lumisan. Yaong mga hindi tumugon sa utos ay pwersahang pinagtataboy, ang kanilang mga bahay winasak sa harap nila mismo. Itinapon sa Mindoro sina Paciano, mga bayaw niya, at dalawampu pang iba. Nang hindi parin gumagalaw sina Francisco Mercado at Teodora Alonso noong nakatakdang oras, personal na silang pinalabas.”  

Isa sa mahalagang epekto ng desisyong ito ng Audeincia Royal ay ang pagtingin ni Jose Rizal sa mga pangyayaring nagaganap. Habang ang desisyon ng kataas-taasang hukuman ay pumabor sa mga Prayle, at sa kniyang pagtingin ay isa itong kawalang katarungan mula sa pamahalaang Kastila. Ayon kay Floro C. Quibuyen, ang  pangyayaring ito ay isa sa maraming dahilan upang basahin si Rizal na isang radikal, na nagbago ang pananaw sa mapayapang pagbabago tungo sa isang rebolusyon. Aniya:

“The Manifestation of 1888, the waves of arrests in 1888 and 1889, the Calamba Hacienda case confirmed Rizal’s worst fears-express as early as 1887- that relying on the Spanish government and campaigning for assimilation were a mistake. As the Calamba tragedy was unfolding, Rizal would find himself moving away from del Pilar’s assimilationist program. After his break with La Solidaridad, Rizal returned to the Philippines to start a more militant, more consciously nationalist movement, La Liga Filipina.”[19]

            Paanong sa isang iglap ay pumabor ang Audiencia Royal sa mga Prayle?  Matatandaan na habang naka sampa palang ang kaso sa kataas-taasang hukuman ay malinaw na ang posisyon ni Gobernador-Heneral Weyler dito, na siya ay hindi pabor sa mga pagbabagong ninanais ng mga taga Calamba. Nauna na nating nabanggit na ang mga petisyon at paking ito ay kinakitaan ng Gobernador-Heneral ng malisyosong ideya ng pakikipaglaban ng mga mamayan, hindi para sa pribadong interes, bagkus, repormang panlipunan. Si Weyler, bilang pinuno ng Audiencia Royal ay malinaw na sa simula pa lang ang kaniyang panig, tila baga hindi pa man lumalabas ang desisyon ng Audiencia Royal ay alam mo na ang magiging desisyon nila.

           

Matapos ang desisyong ito ay lalong aalab ang puso ni Rizal at iba pang repormista upang lalong pagtingin ang paghahangad ng reporma sa bansa. Hahantong ito sa hindi lamang reporma kundi paghahangad ng tunay na kalayaan.  

Makikita naman ang malaking pagbabago pagdating sa Kataas-taasang Hukuman (Korte Suprema) ng dumating na ang mga Amerikano kung saan hiwalay na ang Ehekutibo sa hudikatura. Lalong lalawak ang kapangyarihan nito at ang kaniyang pagiging malaya sa ano mang impluwensya pagdating ng 1935 kapag ipinatupad na ang Saligang-Batas 1935.

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[1]Malcolm, George Arthur. The Commonwealth of the Philippines. (1888-1961). Nerw York. 1936.p188.

[2] Santos, Emmanuel T. The Constitution of the Philippines: Notes and Comments. p345.

[3] Blair, Emma and James Alexander Robertson. The Philippine Islands.  Vol. V p274.

[4] Ibid, same cite.

[5] Corpuz, Onofre D. Bureaucracy in the Philippines. Institute of Public Administration. University of the Philippines. 1957.

[6] Ibid, p64. Also in Cronicas del la Apostolica Provincia de S. Gregorio de Religiosos descalsos de N. S. P.S. Francisco en las Islas Filipinas, China, Japan etc. Sampaloc. Manila 1738-1744 by J. Francisco de San Antonio.

[7] See Copuz in Bureaucracy…p.63.

[8] Ibid, p64-66.

[9] Ibid, p66.

[10] Ibid, p67.

[11] Coates, Austin.  Rizal: Makabayan at Martir. Salin ni Nilo S. Ocampo.  University of the Philippine Press. Quezon City. 1995.

[12] Rizal, Jose P. La Verdad Para Todos in La Solidaridad. May 31, 1889. Also in  Philippine History Through Selected Sources by Nicolas Zafra. Phoenix Publishing. 1967.p202.

[13] See Quibuyen in A Nation…p25.

[14] Ibid, p25.

[15] Schumacher, John.  The Propaganda Movement :1880-1895.Ateneo de Manila University Press. 1973. p 223-224.

[16] Ibid, p224.

[17] See Coates in Rizal…p186.

[18] Ibid, 215.

[19] Quibuyen, Floro C. A Nation Aborted: Rizal, American Hegemony, and Philippine Nationalism. Q.C.: Ateneo de Manila University Press. Revised 2008. p23.   

The High Court in Captivity: The Supreme Court of the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation (1941-1945)

Note: This is  an abstract of my paper delivered in the 3rd CSSP Graduate Student Research Conference April 28-29, 2017 Palma Hall, UP Diliman

The paper will discuss the period when the Philippines is under Empire of Japan, (1941-1944 ), which focus on one of most important institution in the Philippine government the Supreme Court. While several publication in Philippine History focus mostly on biography, the Executive Department and member of the Army, this paper give some insight to the Judicial branch of the Commonwealth Government in the crucial period of our history.  What will the Supreme Court will do case the war broke out?; Quezon’s controversial instruction that “You have to do what they ask you to do except one thing –the taking of any oath of allegiance to Japan.”; the participation of the Supreme Court Justices in the preparation to war, the tale of the two Chief Justices, Jose Abad Santos, his participation and death and  Jose Yulo, his works under the Japanese guidelines; Gen. Homma’s captivity of the Judiciary, his orders and instructions, the 1943 Constitutional provision on the power of the Supreme Court and how it all end with the members accused as a collaborator.


Key Terms:  Japanese Occupation, Instructions, courts, invasion, Supreme Court

Filipina: A Powerful Change Maker

Note: My Essay Won the Essay Writing Contest in UHG in regards to Women's Celebration last March 2017 and I want to share it with you!

We are all familiar with some women who made change in the passage of time. We read them from books, we saw them in the movies or known it personally.  Joan of Arc expanded the losing Kingdom of France in 1400; Elizabeth Expanded the British Empire into the largest exporting country in the world and Ann Frank mesmerized us on what the real war looks like in the heart of a teen age girl. However, in the Philippines, our textbooks and pop culture stereotype that women are always, in the past, has a Maria Clara attitude, always depend on the husband decision and not participating in social change, then change to a modern-liberal western-oriented women.  I do not agree with that, since history will teach us that Filipina has already a change-maker since the beginning of this nation.

 A question will rise in this essay.  Are we really familiar with our own women- a Filipina, who made a remarkable achievement that change our history? I’m a history student so pardon me for the use of my example.  But my argument will stand the women in the Philippines made change, and we can see it in the passage of time. And those changes they made affect all of us as a citizen, as a nation and a Filipino.  Let me start we my definition of change. In this essay, change is something that is political, social and economic.  Without those change, we are not what we are now.  Then, the word “women”. I used the term Filipina, for this is the right term for those women who live in the Philippines, off course with honor and pride.  

Before the Magellan set foot in the sand of Samar and saw the women of the Visayas, a powerful women in Pangasinan name Prisesa Urduja was already known as a warrior and men are restrain to duel with her for they afraid to lose their honor.  Lucky, Magellan did not set foot in Luzon and the periodization that they have, then save the image Lapu-lapu as a great warrior who killed Magellan in the Battle of Mactan.

During the Silang rebellion in Ilocos, Diego, the revolutionary leader was assassinated and his wife immediately took over the leadership.  The four month of leadership ended with her execution in the present they Plaza in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.  That rebellion, though considered by Renato Constantino as action without ideas, appears in history that the Spanish government ruled with brutality and inhumane attitude toward the Filipino.  

And who can forget the twenty women of Malolos who signed and presented a letter to Governor-General on December 12, 1888 requesting permission to open a night school where they could be taught Spanish.  Rizal made an essay about this in Sol amid a daring attempt to show how powerful Filipina women have in the time of terror and colonization. After a decade, this education will be given, off course not by the Mother Spain but the Imperialist United States.

Before, when we used the Philippine bill for transaction, the only women you will see there is Josefa Llanes Escoda, who founded the Girls Scout of the Philippines, and engage in a guerilla activities during the Japanese occupation. Imagine the terrible consequence of that to women, were incident of rape and murdered were rampant due to the Japanese brutal occupation.  But what she did was a show of encouragement that a Filipina can stand for her country amid the time of war.

At the time of dictatorship of Ferdinand E. Marcos, were political writings are controlled by the military and ideas can only be sought through novel and essay, who can forget about Lualhati Bautista, the author of Dekada’70 (a story of a family live in the period of Martial Law), Gapo  (discussed about the prostitution in Olongapo City) and Bata-bata Paanoi ka Ginawa? (a mother who live with her feministic idea) . Those controversial novels that question the authority of the dictator made us realized that the women are also powerful in pen.  Probably Mr. Marcos no longer read those novels, but the next generation will have an idea how dangerous the era have. 

And who can forget the women, a housewife without experience in governance, who fought against the dictator in 1986 Snap Presidential Election, established a revolutionary government and restored the democracy that the millennial women enjoyed at this time.  Corazon Aquino, made to the Time Magazine and US Congress as one of the most significant women in Asia.  We almost fall in a tremendous bank loans, thanks to restoration of the three branches of government, were plunder is now a high crime.  Her legacy continued to exist, for democracy is the basic principle in a strong Republic. 

So what is the meaning of this entire example? History will say that a Filipina did change in the passage of time. From the pre-colonial period to the restoration of democracy, women in the Philippine can never set aside. They are participant in very change that the society required.  Women in the Philippines are politically and socially oriented, for they have the courage to be an active participant which made them a real Filipina. 

  

The millennials today, with their so called “pabebe” attitude, but not all, can also be like what the Filipina in the past did. They can also be a central personage in history. The society needs change, but it does not have a qualification who can be the one who will make it. You don’t need to be a president who voted by 16 million people, or a dictator to start a change in the society.  Those Filipina, which provided here as an example, made and change history, not because they were powerful, but they have the courage to be empowered. Women empowerment is the key for change, for they are not only a wife for a husband, or a mother of their child, but rather, a women in the Philippine who willing to do change. That’s made them a Filipina, a woman of a Filipino nation. 

Occidental Mindoro November Tour 2016

It was my first time:  first, to travel 14 hours via bus and Ro-Ro, second, to experience zip line.  Occidental Mindoro is separated in Luzon where Tamarraw and Crocodile inhabit, and the indigenous tribe of Mangyan. When I first set foot,  in San jose, I was amazed since it was a first class municipality. We went to one of the oldest train which started its combustion in 1900 for the Sakadas. In Sablayan, I enjoyed the longest island-to island zip line in South-East Asia.  It proved to me the reality of the quotes that once said by a director ( Miss Lee) in a conference “ love the place, not your friend. Your friend will leave you, but the place will stay where it is forever.”

P-Noy and the TV at prime time.

President Aquino's address tonight through local channels reminds me of how powerful is the primetime  hours for everyone. The Malacanang choose this airtime to explained the DAF issue which certainly connected to the  last Pulse Asia Survey about the popularity of the Congress.

For all we know, majority of the members of Congress are in Liberal Party and it is obvious that the President is trying to clean the image of the party's members in Congress.

I would like to reiterate that DAF is constitutional for all we know that the 1987 Constitution is clear on its definition. Article VI, Sec.25, paragraph 5 that the President has a power to augment any savings in that preceding fiscal year to his choice of government agency. It is only how you explained it to the people and P-Noy provide us one.

Rizal, Marx and the BPO Industry: Capitalism, Patriotism and Nationalism.

RIZAl

Though I’m not a fanatic of our national hero I considered his works as very important and relevant in the study of our national consciousness. His undying novel such as Noli Me Tangere exposed an argument that until now even the present Spanish government can no longer retrieve its reputation as an Empire of tyranny, corruption and injustice during its 300 years of colonization. Added to this is his Cientro de cien Anos[1] essay in La Solidaridad dated 1890 which obviously predict the collapsed of the mother Spain if she will not provide the necessary reform in las Islas Filipinas. Soon as true enough, Andres Bonifacio founded the rebellious Katipunan, started the National uprising and destroyed the Spanish Government in the country within a year.

MARX

Marx’s Communist Manifesto[2] assumed that so much capitalism will result to a workers rebellion followed by the collapsed of Capitalism. This is applicable in the Soviet history for their started by revolution of the communist Bolshevic rebels. For all the changes and advancement of its nation before transformation to democracy in 1991 the people of the Russian Federation still cannot separate its present political ideology.

BPO INDUSTRY: Capitalism

For all this historical studies do we learn from it? Or due to our Colonial Mentality we continue to ignore those lessons of the past and think like we don’t have our owned sense of nationalism?

I been in the BPO industry for the past three years (though this is not only my job after graduation since I teach as a tutor and lecturer of a Korean School and a review center) and I saw a continued defect and treatment of its laborer. Forcible Over Time and abnormal time of break schedule and low standard of recruitment. Forcible over time was apparently good for business industry since they can attain the quota that needed in production. High income for the company and good for the client’s[3] will be the result. But how about the situation of the work force that handle the connection customer-agent relation? In the Philippine Labor Market, laborer are already abused by 8 hours continues work with cheap labor. If you will add 30 minutes -1 hour over time will cause laborers fatigue and lost of concentration. Remember that majority of the BPO industry are in night shift the energy of the body is different from a day shift work. If the Americans will do trade to the Asian countries in the evening, do you think will they come up with better business transaction?

Abnormal time of break schedule will result to health problem of the BPO laborer for they will eat after 6 hours of shift or they will only pee on the time of their scheduled break. Low standard of recruitment lead to workers unserious job application, those applicants, after get their salaries in training will be suddenly disappear resulted to high attrition. We called those workers as call center hoppers. But the Industry doesn’t bother to search them and I don’t know the reason why.  If those BPO companies are not serious in dealing with their applicant who signed contract with them, and after a week those people will be considered as AWOL, much more that those applicant. Though it’s hard to imagine but this is how rotten the BPO system is.

BPO Industry: Patriotism

Currently an aware that due to the employers exposure to American immoral attitude, their languages, manners and even decision making are trying hard American standard in which not applicable to the Filipino social structure. We make our owned Diasporas in which we are not force to do but we are willing. This is due to hegemonic treatment of the managers to the workers. The workers are not aware of this due to lack of social consciousness and nationalism. English Only Policy, freebies to bar and expensive restaurant, they think these are good things offered by the company well in fact a serious threat to our owned future national consciousness. There is no different in what David Sturtevant[4] discussion about a landlord offered advance payment for festivities, sabong, kasa, and other irrelevant activities of the kasama that resulted to his debt to the landlord and at the end of the harvest time, he can only brought a single peso for his family.

BPO Industry: Nationalism

They say that since the BPO is a western supported industry it has an American standard of labor well in fact in it is misleading. If this is an American standard then it should have labor unions, American standard salary and American standard benefits in which we don’t have. We are victim of so much capitalism. We try to be someone so that the American will be satisfied of what they need but apparently sacrifice almost half of what will be in the future.  This industry created several individual who with so much capitalism lost his identity, his love for fellow countrymen. Marx explained:

“ It has converted the physician, the lawyer, the priest, the poet, the man of science into its paid wage-labourers.”[5]

This is what happened to us. A historian became a call center agent, a registered nurse, a teacher, a chemist and a theologian. We don’t understand this situation because we don’t open our eyes and justify this kind of exploitation due to our own gain. We want to earn so much no matter how much the cost.

Reform should start in the highest position in the company so that the laborers and the managers will sail in one direction. There’s nothing wrong in doing changes in ones institution for the benefits of this radicalism is for all. Why we are afraid of doing things that is essential for the laborers well in fact they are the foundation and backbone of the company. Without them those capitalist will never have revenue of what they are receiving right now. I’m afraid that if the BPO industry will not reform itself as one of the labor force of the Philippine economy, it will lead to collapsed. The prevailing changes of market from West to East is now on the rise and if the Western people lost their revenue, do they think will the Asian people accept the BPO services as a paradigm shift of business venture,  well in fact the Americans and Asians has different culture? Look at how Japan improve their advancement through robotic (not to human) technology.

I don’t want to be Rizal or Marx here as a theories, I just want to the people to see what I saw, promote dignity of labor and applies the reform that needs by our beloved work, the BPO industry.

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[1] There is a very good explanation of this essay in A Nation Aborted: Rizal, American Hegemony and Philippine Nationalism by Floro C. Quibuyen, p 211.

[2]Marx, Karl and Engels, Frederick, Manifesto of the Communist Party, Foreign Language Press Peking 1975, p. 36

[3] We call them Client, the primary customer of the BPO representative, the third party is the agent while the Middle man is the capitalist.

[4] Sturtevant, David. Popular Uprising in the Philippines. Ithaca

[5] Marx and Engels. same cite p.36

BOOK REVIEW: F. Sionil Jose’s Po-on

Note: Writing the review for this book is already at my agenda for the past week but since I was so busy at my MA and the office and to think that Sara Sionil is my dear officemate, I have this feeling of guilt that after reading her Lolo’s novel she may think I didn’t like it (Off course not! I like the book so much, in which probably she don’t know? ). My apology for the delayed of the review but here it goes.

“Conquest by force is not sanctioned by God. The Americans have no right to be here. We will defeat them in the end because we believe this land they usurp is our; God created it for us. The whole history of mankind has shown how faith endures while steel rusts.” -December 2, 1899

At this time when adventure in the book is so popular, form JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring to JK Rowling’s harry Potter, F. Sionil provide us more vivid adventure of a Filipino acolyte who trap in the mid of the Spanish tyranny. The story expand up to the Filipino-American war were dignity is priceless and country is your love one. The book will teach you how far will you serve for neither someone nor what are the definition of selfless love, for your country, for your family and for your change of course of history.

Istak Salvador, a one time acolyte, educated through a good friar who teach him latin and Spanish, medicine and logic, becomes a victim of Spanish oppression force to leave Poon (a town in Ilocos Sur) after his father Baac accidentally killed a friar who wants them to be expelled from their land. This is a personal revenge when Baac realized that Priest who will be the town curate is the same priests who oppress him after the latter refused to do the force labor made him forcibly in the Polo y Servicio causing the permanent dislocation of his arm. From Poon to Vigan, the Salvador family and some company experience a perilous adventure. The forest and mountains of the north killed Baac through a snake bite and a child when a tribal inhabitant attacks them. Agno river drown their mother after they cross the river. When they reach Rosales in Pangasinan, he changes his last name to Samson.

In Rosales, the revolution broke out and the American forces took an advance position up to Ilocos Sur searching for the President of the Republic. Prime Minister and personal adviser (who just describe as a cripple) was in sick and stayed of Istak closed friend. Through Istak knowledge of medicinal plant, the cripple was assign to him to be cure at least. At the time, they exchange thought and ideas about the Americans and the dodging Republic. Through this, Mabini realized the importance of Istak for the up coming event. Mabini asked Istak to bring a letter to President Aguinaldo since he knows all the trails and way in the Cordilleras. With full strength and patriotism, he depart Rosales and went to the mountains were he saw all the brutalities of the Americans. At Tirad, Gen. Gregorio del Pilar at first refused to believe him but the latter became part of the Battle of Tirad pass where he was killed.

Post-modernism in history is what F. Sionil Jose tried to expand in a fictional literary identity. Though obviously this is not History as per se, since this is a historical fiction (an account that is not really happened therefore cannot be subjected as reference). Post-modernist idea occurred when the character which is no one, that is a representation of those unknown heroes that should be heard in our history. Filipino Historians always provide us those leaders that shape or construct those events that are important in narrating our past. But what about those men, who does not lead but took part of that particular event?  Istak Samson is an example of a character in a postmodernist literary creation. He was just an acolyte who appointed to create history, if he will do it or not, it’s up to him. But off course patriotism is in every heart of a Filipino and that what Istak try to portray.  Just what Mabini says talking to Istak “ – it has always been the many faces of men, those foot soldiers, who have suffered most, who have died. It is they who make a nation.”  The book is a good insight for a new idea of how you read history, but remember history and literary fictions is different for you maybe confuse.