NBDB: Vandalism of 2 independent bookstores harmful to country's democratic values

MANILA, Philippines — The vandalism of two independent Philippine bookstores is an attack on institutions of knowledge that also harm the country’s diplomatic values, the National Book Development Board said.

The NBDB, in a statement, expressed concern about the vandalism of Popular Bookstore and Solidaridad. “We along with our friends and partners in the book publishing condemn in the strongest terms these vicious acts,” they added.

“We believe this is an attack on institutions of knowledge and harmful to the democratic values that we, along with the rest of the government, are bound by duty to protect,” the board added.

Popular Bookstore, an establishment in Quezon City, said that when they opened their store on Tuesday, they saw three vandals of “NPA terorista” on the name of their store and even their steel roll-up gate.

Rappler editor Joel Pablo Salud meanwhile posted on his Facebook that the name of Solidaridad bookshop was defaced by red paint with one vandal reading “NPA.”

The NBDB said that the acts on these bookstores that are not only detrimental to these two independent bookstores that have been hit by the pandemic, but the whole Philippine publishing industry as well.

The defacing of Solidaridad in particular was also a gross disrespect to the memory of the late National Artist F. Sionil Jose, the NBDB added.

“Books open minds and changes worlds. Reading encourages people to think critically, exchange views properly and make better choices. Threatening and maliciously labeling bookstores would only be great disservice to the national good,” the Board added.

“We stand in solidarity with bookstores, content creators, publishers, industry workers, readers, and all sectors of the publishing community in condemning these acts and call for vigilance in protecting our shared advocacies—literacy, critical thinking and democracy,”  it added.

Call for probe

The Philippine Center for the International PEN (Poets & Playwrights, Essayists, Novelists) also condemned the act, as they stressed that the targeted bookstores have boldly stood as “fortresses and enlightenment” were red-tagged,

Red-tagging or the act of linking individuals or groups — often through baseless claims — to the communist movement have resulted in threats, harassments, even complaints. Some red-tagged individuals were also killed.

PEN urged local authorities to investigate the “violence” done to the two bookstores.

The management of the Popular Bookstore said they did not feel fear when they were greeted with the vandals on Tuesday, but there was “dismay and exasperation.”

But they asserted that: “Books are not bullets and bombs. Books are for education and enlightenment. It is a repository of history and culture. It is what differentiates humankind from animals.”