Taking off from Russell Molina’s talk last August 29 for Filipino Week, here is one line that refuses to leave: “Martial Law is not an event. It is an idea. Ideas can be resurrected.”
It is a reminder that history is not a closed book. What we choose to forget can return; what we choose to silence can echo louder. To read, to question, to remember, these acts become our guardrails against the resurrection of ideas that once brought fear and darkness. This week, the BA Library will highlight books on Martial Law as an act of remembrance and courage.
In doing so, we affirm the importance of human rights as the foundation of a just society. Above all, we honor our shared humanity by keeping memory alive through stories.
First up is Russell Molina and Kajo Baldissimo's 12:01.
This haunting graphic novel tells the story of young people sneaking past curfew during Martial Law. When one of them is caught and never seen again, the narrative becomes a powerful allegory for memory, silence, and the disappeared. Combining stark visuals with sparse, searing text, 12:01 confronts readers with the enduring shadows of authoritarian rule.
Target Readers: Older teens (Grades 10–12) and adults
Philo and TOK Connections:
How does art, in this case, a graphic novel, convey truths about history differently from official records?
Can silence itself be a form of knowledge, especially in remembering trauma and loss?
How do we know the past when sources are incomplete or deliberately suppressed?
How do stories (like 12:01) act as artefacts or avenues of remembrance?
Check the BA Library OPAC. Our Book List on Martial Law is publicly accessible.
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