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The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos
This book reports on the best laid plans that paved the way to the Philippines' dark history: the imposition of martial law in 1972 and the schemes that built and held its infrastructure. Drawing data from his work as Marcos's media adviser before his defection in 1975, Primitivo Mijares esposes the massive corruption and military abuses under the regime, which has left the nation in ruins. Forty years after its first publication, the book, in this revised and annotated edition, reminds Filipinos of their past that remains a present threat.
499 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
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May 17, 2022How could a dictator who stole billions of dollars from his country, and still have a significant number of his countrymen believe that he did not steal anything??? The worst part of it is that the Marcos family is back in power in the Philippines.
Filipinos should not suffer from amnesia, nor try to gloss over the ugly parts of our history. Whether or not you believe in what was alleged in this book, remember that the author of this book is a missing person until this day, and his son was brutally killed. We must always examine our past if we are to hope for a better future, as a nation.
Filipinos should not suffer from amnesia, nor try to gloss over the ugly parts of our history. Whether or not you believe in what was alleged in this book, remember that the author of this book is a missing person until this day, and his son was brutally killed. We must always examine our past if we are to hope for a better future, as a nation.
July 7, 2017
One thing is for sure: you read this book and you will hate the Marcoses in the end. Hate. To. The. Bone.
I was born in 1964. A year after that, Marcos won the presidency. In 1969, when Marcos ran for his second term and won, I was 5 years old. When Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972, I was a Grade 3 student and I still remember my parents glued to our battery-operated transistor radio listening to Marcos. From then on, I started to hear about New Society and we were asked to memorize the Bagong Lipunan song: "May bagong silang/May bago nang buhay/Bagong bansa/Bagong galaw/Sa Bagong Lipunan..." and plant a tree every year as part of school requirements supporting Imelda's "Green Revolution" project. From elementary to high school, we were also ask to memorize the names of the leaders of the country from the president to the town councilors and for the Boy Scout, CAT and later in ROTC the names of the commander-in-chief (Marcos) down to the local officers of the school or university. There was a point in my young mind when I thought that being a president was a lifelong career similar to say, that of the pope, or a king.
If you believe this book and I hope you do, that exactly was what the triumvirate of Marcos, Imelda and Kokoy wanted to do in this country. Don't get me wrong: I was not a victim of Martial Law. At least not directly. From high school in Alabat Island, I went to Baguio to study Medical Technology and there, I was too busy studying and watching movies (my hobby then). My parents are not rich and we were 4 in college so there was no time to socialize or participate on rallies or demonstrations against the Marcos-US regime. Also, Baguio was part of Marcos's bailiwick, the so-called Solid North so I thought that the student demonstrations and rallies there were not as militant as in Manila where one of my older brothers, now a successful lawyer, even had at some point bring my dad's gun to protect himself in rallies where he had to participate.
Fast forward to yesterday, July 6, 2017. I was listening to a morning radio show while driving to work. A caller said: "Kung wala kang ginagawang masama, hindi ka dapat matakot sa Martial Law" (referring to President Duterte's Martial Law in Mindanao being declared as constitutional by the Supreme Court). I could not help but think: were the thousands of Martial Law victims of Marcos and Imelda did something wrong that justified their death, torture or mental abuse? Who did the Marcoses (or Duterte for EJK) think they were? Gods?
Save from the Cocofed insurance that my mom used to pay monthly during the early days of Martial Law, money that she invested from our family's meager income that went to Danding Cojuanco's pockets, I was personally unaffected by Martial Law. That was how I felt prior to this book. This book opened my eyes: the young life, or so I thought to be nice and happy despite having much much less financially, was a tragedy. The Marcoses, at that time that I was dreaming for a blissful adult life, was plundering the economy to the extent that all of us are now paying their sins that made our lives now miserable and bleak. Could you imagine how different your life now if we are like Singapore or South Korea? Those countries were poorer than the Philippines when Marcos started his term in 1965.
Now, you can argue that the Aquinos neither did any good to the country but that is another story. The Filipinos in 1965 made a mistake of electing a criminal (Nalundasan case) who had the ambition of perpetuating himself in power until his last breath. That's WHY he declared Martial Law. That was the start of our woes as a nation.
I think that President Duterte has good intentions for the country considering his age and all. However, his only mistake is to have friends like the Marcoses. He must read this book for him to be aware of what kind of evil people he is hanging out with.
I was born in 1964. A year after that, Marcos won the presidency. In 1969, when Marcos ran for his second term and won, I was 5 years old. When Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972, I was a Grade 3 student and I still remember my parents glued to our battery-operated transistor radio listening to Marcos. From then on, I started to hear about New Society and we were asked to memorize the Bagong Lipunan song: "May bagong silang/May bago nang buhay/Bagong bansa/Bagong galaw/Sa Bagong Lipunan..." and plant a tree every year as part of school requirements supporting Imelda's "Green Revolution" project. From elementary to high school, we were also ask to memorize the names of the leaders of the country from the president to the town councilors and for the Boy Scout, CAT and later in ROTC the names of the commander-in-chief (Marcos) down to the local officers of the school or university. There was a point in my young mind when I thought that being a president was a lifelong career similar to say, that of the pope, or a king.
If you believe this book and I hope you do, that exactly was what the triumvirate of Marcos, Imelda and Kokoy wanted to do in this country. Don't get me wrong: I was not a victim of Martial Law. At least not directly. From high school in Alabat Island, I went to Baguio to study Medical Technology and there, I was too busy studying and watching movies (my hobby then). My parents are not rich and we were 4 in college so there was no time to socialize or participate on rallies or demonstrations against the Marcos-US regime. Also, Baguio was part of Marcos's bailiwick, the so-called Solid North so I thought that the student demonstrations and rallies there were not as militant as in Manila where one of my older brothers, now a successful lawyer, even had at some point bring my dad's gun to protect himself in rallies where he had to participate.
Fast forward to yesterday, July 6, 2017. I was listening to a morning radio show while driving to work. A caller said: "Kung wala kang ginagawang masama, hindi ka dapat matakot sa Martial Law" (referring to President Duterte's Martial Law in Mindanao being declared as constitutional by the Supreme Court). I could not help but think: were the thousands of Martial Law victims of Marcos and Imelda did something wrong that justified their death, torture or mental abuse? Who did the Marcoses (or Duterte for EJK) think they were? Gods?
Save from the Cocofed insurance that my mom used to pay monthly during the early days of Martial Law, money that she invested from our family's meager income that went to Danding Cojuanco's pockets, I was personally unaffected by Martial Law. That was how I felt prior to this book. This book opened my eyes: the young life, or so I thought to be nice and happy despite having much much less financially, was a tragedy. The Marcoses, at that time that I was dreaming for a blissful adult life, was plundering the economy to the extent that all of us are now paying their sins that made our lives now miserable and bleak. Could you imagine how different your life now if we are like Singapore or South Korea? Those countries were poorer than the Philippines when Marcos started his term in 1965.
Now, you can argue that the Aquinos neither did any good to the country but that is another story. The Filipinos in 1965 made a mistake of electing a criminal (Nalundasan case) who had the ambition of perpetuating himself in power until his last breath. That's WHY he declared Martial Law. That was the start of our woes as a nation.
I think that President Duterte has good intentions for the country considering his age and all. However, his only mistake is to have friends like the Marcoses. He must read this book for him to be aware of what kind of evil people he is hanging out with.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2022
The best thing about this 430-page pamphlet is that it is a free PDF download. Otherwise, I can issue only two-stars as a rating for this unusual treatise. It is 'just okay'. I'm reading it for the purposes of research-only; which admittedly is perhaps all it is useful for.
In this narrow capacity it serves me very well--for it does indeed show an astounding behind-the-scenes look at a startling modern dictatorship. The author was the chief press agent for Ferdinand Marcos. Said another way: this was Marcos' propaganda czar. His Josef Goebbels. He saw all that went on; and then some.
But it is written by a career journalist and despite that (or perhaps because of it?), the writing style is extremely quirky. This is unmistakably, said journalist's first-ever book attempt; and it is this which makes it a very dubious reading experience. It is something to 'skim' rather than read line-by-line.
First, the prose is highly matter-of-factual with laborious repetition of times, dates, names, and places. When did such-and-such a phone call take place? What hotel room? What food was on the table at the time? What was the exact name of the maid? Ad infinatum.
Next: indiscriminate, inchoate, CAPITALIZATION rears its menacing head. Just one example to illustrate: the author spends a 1/3 of the work carefully explicating himself in the mater of a notorious $100,000.00 bribe, (which was to be paid in TWO installments of FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH. [Boy, I wish someone would offer me a bribe like that].
But--as he makes repetitively clear--he "OBEYED THE DICTATES OF HIS PATRIOTIC CONSCIENCE" instead. And don-n-n-n-n-n-n't you forget it!
Secondly (and more amusingly, as the above paragraph is intended to show) the author's delivery is filled with lurid, Hearst-era, yellow-press phraseology. You will encounter histrionic, flights-of-purple-prose. The following are just a few: 'rein of terror', 'corridors of power', 'the machinations of his sinister wife' and 'the stilled chimes of freedom'.
This is not just occasionally, but every few sentences. You know the kind of thing. Overall it gives the tract a hoarse, exhorting, and Savaronola-esque tone. (Really, it's mildly fascinating in its own regard to see just how reporters tend to write when given full rein to their sentiments. They don't hold back!).
But I suppose--besides the research value of this free book--I can and should recognize the underlying sweetness of this whole kalabash. I am enjoying it more than I should. It has a certain charm. Think of it. This is a guy who sincerely believes in democratic freedoms, (reminder! he turned down FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PAYABLE in TWO SEPARATE INSTALLMENTS!), and throughout his memoir, he earnestly yearns for his country to emulate the 'noble, shining example' of the United States. He believes this with all his heart.
Such naivete, one can only marvel at these days. And it also strikes a pang of envy. I'm sure we all wish we had a country we felt as passionately for, as this gentleman does his. When was the last time any of us felt such a twinge of deep-seated patriotism for the USA?
In this narrow capacity it serves me very well--for it does indeed show an astounding behind-the-scenes look at a startling modern dictatorship. The author was the chief press agent for Ferdinand Marcos. Said another way: this was Marcos' propaganda czar. His Josef Goebbels. He saw all that went on; and then some.
But it is written by a career journalist and despite that (or perhaps because of it?), the writing style is extremely quirky. This is unmistakably, said journalist's first-ever book attempt; and it is this which makes it a very dubious reading experience. It is something to 'skim' rather than read line-by-line.
First, the prose is highly matter-of-factual with laborious repetition of times, dates, names, and places. When did such-and-such a phone call take place? What hotel room? What food was on the table at the time? What was the exact name of the maid? Ad infinatum.
Next: indiscriminate, inchoate, CAPITALIZATION rears its menacing head. Just one example to illustrate: the author spends a 1/3 of the work carefully explicating himself in the mater of a notorious $100,000.00 bribe, (which was to be paid in TWO installments of FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH. [Boy, I wish someone would offer me a bribe like that].
But--as he makes repetitively clear--he "OBEYED THE DICTATES OF HIS PATRIOTIC CONSCIENCE" instead. And don-n-n-n-n-n-n't you forget it!
Secondly (and more amusingly, as the above paragraph is intended to show) the author's delivery is filled with lurid, Hearst-era, yellow-press phraseology. You will encounter histrionic, flights-of-purple-prose. The following are just a few: 'rein of terror', 'corridors of power', 'the machinations of his sinister wife' and 'the stilled chimes of freedom'.
This is not just occasionally, but every few sentences. You know the kind of thing. Overall it gives the tract a hoarse, exhorting, and Savaronola-esque tone. (Really, it's mildly fascinating in its own regard to see just how reporters tend to write when given full rein to their sentiments. They don't hold back!).
But I suppose--besides the research value of this free book--I can and should recognize the underlying sweetness of this whole kalabash. I am enjoying it more than I should. It has a certain charm. Think of it. This is a guy who sincerely believes in democratic freedoms, (reminder! he turned down FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PAYABLE in TWO SEPARATE INSTALLMENTS!), and throughout his memoir, he earnestly yearns for his country to emulate the 'noble, shining example' of the United States. He believes this with all his heart.
Such naivete, one can only marvel at these days. And it also strikes a pang of envy. I'm sure we all wish we had a country we felt as passionately for, as this gentleman does his. When was the last time any of us felt such a twinge of deep-seated patriotism for the USA?
July 1, 2016
Took me a while to read this and let the material sink in without getting lost in the details. I say, however, that this is a good starter to familiarizing oneself with Martial Law and the effect of the Conjugal Dictatorship in the country. These are mostly firsthand accounts of Mijares while he was working with the administration, which shows from a certain, distinct perspective how things worked back then.
March 31, 2018
A must-read for Filipinos who are probably still clueless about the inexorable assault on our freedoms by the Marcos dictatorship, and who support that kind of leadership through their allegiance to Duterte.
September 26, 2019
The edition I read was 763 pages long because of annotations from the author’s family. I hope they make this a required reading material for high school students in Philippine history classes. It really felt like an insider view of Martial Law. The chapter on torture victims was horrific, and the fact that this is non-fiction makes it even more so. It takes so much courage to launch this in 1976, and the Mijares family paid with two lives after this book was published (the author who disappeared and the youngest son who got kidnapped, tortured, and thrown from a helicopter). The author was quite emotional and as such had the tendencies to have winding and repetitive sentences in the fashion of journalistic reportage. But given the circumstances, he still managed to write this under a state of extreme duress and at the expense of his own safety. Massive respect for this thick tome, a genuinely crafted contribution to documenting dark moments in recent Philippine history.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2020
I've heard about this book before and I first thought this was just a book about the life of the Marcoses and so I dismissed it.
Recently, I came across US Congressman Donald Fraser's Cable archives on a hearing done in 1975 where the witness revealed his insider knowledge of how Marcos orchestrated Martial Law to perpetuate himself beyond his official term of office (supposed to end in 1973). The congressional witness? Primitivo Mijares, the author of this book. In that hearing, Mijares detailed how Marcos controlled the judiciary and media. He mentioned in the hearing that "FEW LARGE COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS WERE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE PHILIPPINES WITHOUT MARCOS GETTING HIS CUT" Wikileaks Cable about Fraser Hearings
Mijares revealed to this congressional hearing that he was offered a bribe not to attend the congressional hearing Marcos bribe offer cited by witness. He did not take the bribe attempt and proceeded to attend the hearing to reveal what he knows about Marcos.
Who is Primitivo Mijares? He was Marcos' aide, a Malacañang insider, the chief propagandist of Marcos who controls what gets published in the Philippine media during the early years of Martial Law.
When I read that Wikileaks cable, I started thinking that this man Mijares knows a lot more than what was mentioned in that Fraser congressional hearing.
I had to read this book.
This book was published in 1976 in the middle of Martial Law (lifted in 1981) and on page 3 of the book he wrote this:
"To the Filipino People
Who dramatized in the Battle of Mactan of April 27, 1521, their rejection of a foreign tyranny sought to be imposed by Ferdinand Magellan, that they may soon recover lost courage and, with greater vigor and determination, rid the Philippines of the evil rule of a home-grown tyrant with the same initials."
He never got to see his wish, he disappeared in 1977, last seen with a Marcos agent boarding a flight to the Philippines from the US.
On May 31, 1977, his 16-year-old son Boyet Mijares was found tortured, mutilated, and killed in the hills of Antipolo, Rizal (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, Feb 19, 2017)
What was written in this book that cost him and his son's life? It is not just about the lives of the then president and the first lady, it is about the little known history of the Philippines that was hidden from the Philippine citizenry during Martial Law. I thought I know something about Martial Law, I later realized, while reading this book, that I knew little about Martial Law.
Primitivo Mijares tells it all, even from beyond the grave through this book. It is very much worth a read today if you want a first-hand view of Martial Law and how it impacted the people of the Philippines, how Marcos manipulated the minds of the citizenry, how he controlled the media, the judiciary, and the military.
Recently, I came across US Congressman Donald Fraser's Cable archives on a hearing done in 1975 where the witness revealed his insider knowledge of how Marcos orchestrated Martial Law to perpetuate himself beyond his official term of office (supposed to end in 1973). The congressional witness? Primitivo Mijares, the author of this book. In that hearing, Mijares detailed how Marcos controlled the judiciary and media. He mentioned in the hearing that "FEW LARGE COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS WERE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE PHILIPPINES WITHOUT MARCOS GETTING HIS CUT" Wikileaks Cable about Fraser Hearings
Mijares revealed to this congressional hearing that he was offered a bribe not to attend the congressional hearing Marcos bribe offer cited by witness. He did not take the bribe attempt and proceeded to attend the hearing to reveal what he knows about Marcos.
Who is Primitivo Mijares? He was Marcos' aide, a Malacañang insider, the chief propagandist of Marcos who controls what gets published in the Philippine media during the early years of Martial Law.
When I read that Wikileaks cable, I started thinking that this man Mijares knows a lot more than what was mentioned in that Fraser congressional hearing.
I had to read this book.
This book was published in 1976 in the middle of Martial Law (lifted in 1981) and on page 3 of the book he wrote this:
"To the Filipino People
Who dramatized in the Battle of Mactan of April 27, 1521, their rejection of a foreign tyranny sought to be imposed by Ferdinand Magellan, that they may soon recover lost courage and, with greater vigor and determination, rid the Philippines of the evil rule of a home-grown tyrant with the same initials."
He never got to see his wish, he disappeared in 1977, last seen with a Marcos agent boarding a flight to the Philippines from the US.
On May 31, 1977, his 16-year-old son Boyet Mijares was found tortured, mutilated, and killed in the hills of Antipolo, Rizal (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, Feb 19, 2017)
What was written in this book that cost him and his son's life? It is not just about the lives of the then president and the first lady, it is about the little known history of the Philippines that was hidden from the Philippine citizenry during Martial Law. I thought I know something about Martial Law, I later realized, while reading this book, that I knew little about Martial Law.
Primitivo Mijares tells it all, even from beyond the grave through this book. It is very much worth a read today if you want a first-hand view of Martial Law and how it impacted the people of the Philippines, how Marcos manipulated the minds of the citizenry, how he controlled the media, the judiciary, and the military.
Read
January 21, 2022Year 2016 was my political awakening. It was the time were I joined my second rally protesting against the burial of former president FEM at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
My knowledge on Marcos regime was based from the documentaries that I watched. The human rights violations such as the horrors of tortures and killings during that time made me already infuriated. That alone is enough to be angry against Marcos.
Today, upon reading some primary accounts on Martial Law adds up more reason to condemn their family. Right now, I just finished chapter 2 and it's getting more exciting to know more about how Marcos plundered... or should I say - RAPED our country that will be tackled in the succeeding chapters.
Primitivo Mijares' book exposes the dirty... or should I borrow his statement - "satanic record", "diabolical cunning", and "sinister manipulations of a scheming man" of this power-greedy "Asian dictator." This author is no other than the "media czar" and the "confidant" of Marcos. That's why it's no doubt that this book is reliable.
As a reflection, it's frustrating to know that nowadays, people believe more on unreliable sources on social media than on credible, annotated, and peer reviewed sources. And right now, his son - Bongbong Marcos Jr. has successfully manufactured online fake accounts to spread fake news and propaganda in order to revise and distort history to sanitize the image of their family from the atrocities that they've done to our country - which they still continue to deny.
The fight is not yet over against the pervasiveness of misinformation and disinformation in the digital space. There is still hope to educate people by giving them more access to reliable information. I still wish that someday, many people will alread become more media and politically literate.
Right now, all I could say #NeverAgainToMarcos #WagNaMagPaBudol
Note: This digitized version (pdf) of this book can be downloaded electronically online 😁
My knowledge on Marcos regime was based from the documentaries that I watched. The human rights violations such as the horrors of tortures and killings during that time made me already infuriated. That alone is enough to be angry against Marcos.
Today, upon reading some primary accounts on Martial Law adds up more reason to condemn their family. Right now, I just finished chapter 2 and it's getting more exciting to know more about how Marcos plundered... or should I say - RAPED our country that will be tackled in the succeeding chapters.
Primitivo Mijares' book exposes the dirty... or should I borrow his statement - "satanic record", "diabolical cunning", and "sinister manipulations of a scheming man" of this power-greedy "Asian dictator." This author is no other than the "media czar" and the "confidant" of Marcos. That's why it's no doubt that this book is reliable.
As a reflection, it's frustrating to know that nowadays, people believe more on unreliable sources on social media than on credible, annotated, and peer reviewed sources. And right now, his son - Bongbong Marcos Jr. has successfully manufactured online fake accounts to spread fake news and propaganda in order to revise and distort history to sanitize the image of their family from the atrocities that they've done to our country - which they still continue to deny.
The fight is not yet over against the pervasiveness of misinformation and disinformation in the digital space. There is still hope to educate people by giving them more access to reliable information. I still wish that someday, many people will alread become more media and politically literate.
Right now, all I could say #NeverAgainToMarcos #WagNaMagPaBudol
Note: This digitized version (pdf) of this book can be downloaded electronically online 😁
July 17, 2017
[Re-reviewed after finding that there exists a BUHAWI-published version of this book]
Okay. So I liked this book. But it seems that my self-published e-book is incomplete and makes me want to be unnecessarily pedantic. Grammatical and typographical errors here and there. Although, Primitivo Mijares seems like a decent weaver of prose. But since he was a significant contributor to a syndicated column during the Marcos era, I would have expected prose that would keep my attention much longer than it did when I was reading Jaime Cardinal Sin's redundant and circular philosophical diatribe in the form of a hardbound slap-in-the-face. His tone of voice is made to seem impersonal. And when his emotions of contempt and outrage set in, they become too obvious and create for a distasteful read when all one desires are objective foundational support for the evidence they claim or some philosophical or ethical background for such contempt and outrage. In short, some parts come off as too angry. Understandable, but stylistically unsavory, if not done with better wit and bravado. Like Voltaire, or like Dickens, or like Junot Diaz, or like Christopher Hitchens.
Also, this book comes off as pretty academic. It is, in essence, a dossier that should have gained enough traction. Which it didn't. For if it did, this text would not be influential only to the academic space, and would permeate into the predominant politics of the nation. Perhaps that speaks to the incredible skill of the Marcos dictatorship in the art of democratic backsliding, which is retrogressing, if not fully regressing, an entire nation into a non-democratic mode of government. Or perhaps that is a testament to the utter backwardness of the mentality of a Filipino in power, especially since the culture of Filipinos is not one to have a tradition of inculcating a responsibility to people and the community that comes alongside power, quite unlike that in Japan, South Korea, and many other social democracies. (This also explains the majority demographic's extreme indifference and prejudice towards those who are disenfranchised and drawn to vice, i.e. drugs and alcohol.) The expectation of being left alone by the world is one that is common to Filipinos, yet we complain of its transgressions toward us. The tradition of responsibility concomitant to power is somehow only reserved for the university and the idealism of ivory towers, and not for the members of communities in perpetual poverty. This nature of Philippine society is frustrating, for bridges are not built, and if built are burned faster than they were built. Perhaps due to ignorance of the future's possible benefits, or of fear of the risks of the future. Both of which result to the apathy of the commoners and the poor and the self-righteousness of the academic and social elite.
It is fortunate that there is ample opportunity now to get these copies off the ground. Perhaps due to the current political climate, the responsible forces in the world of Philippine academia have noticed that the clock ticks closer to midnight every minute of every day they lie complacent, and not augment and update the already seminal work of Mijares. So far, I've seen a few copies resurface from a few National Bookstore branches I visit on an irregular basis. That brings, at the very least, a little dose of hope for our anti-intellectual country. But a little hope is not enough. The intellectual community still needs more than a barely known text to bridge itself to the rest of the Filipino consciousness.
Okay. So I liked this book. But it seems that my self-published e-book is incomplete and makes me want to be unnecessarily pedantic. Grammatical and typographical errors here and there. Although, Primitivo Mijares seems like a decent weaver of prose. But since he was a significant contributor to a syndicated column during the Marcos era, I would have expected prose that would keep my attention much longer than it did when I was reading Jaime Cardinal Sin's redundant and circular philosophical diatribe in the form of a hardbound slap-in-the-face. His tone of voice is made to seem impersonal. And when his emotions of contempt and outrage set in, they become too obvious and create for a distasteful read when all one desires are objective foundational support for the evidence they claim or some philosophical or ethical background for such contempt and outrage. In short, some parts come off as too angry. Understandable, but stylistically unsavory, if not done with better wit and bravado. Like Voltaire, or like Dickens, or like Junot Diaz, or like Christopher Hitchens.
Also, this book comes off as pretty academic. It is, in essence, a dossier that should have gained enough traction. Which it didn't. For if it did, this text would not be influential only to the academic space, and would permeate into the predominant politics of the nation. Perhaps that speaks to the incredible skill of the Marcos dictatorship in the art of democratic backsliding, which is retrogressing, if not fully regressing, an entire nation into a non-democratic mode of government. Or perhaps that is a testament to the utter backwardness of the mentality of a Filipino in power, especially since the culture of Filipinos is not one to have a tradition of inculcating a responsibility to people and the community that comes alongside power, quite unlike that in Japan, South Korea, and many other social democracies. (This also explains the majority demographic's extreme indifference and prejudice towards those who are disenfranchised and drawn to vice, i.e. drugs and alcohol.) The expectation of being left alone by the world is one that is common to Filipinos, yet we complain of its transgressions toward us. The tradition of responsibility concomitant to power is somehow only reserved for the university and the idealism of ivory towers, and not for the members of communities in perpetual poverty. This nature of Philippine society is frustrating, for bridges are not built, and if built are burned faster than they were built. Perhaps due to ignorance of the future's possible benefits, or of fear of the risks of the future. Both of which result to the apathy of the commoners and the poor and the self-righteousness of the academic and social elite.
It is fortunate that there is ample opportunity now to get these copies off the ground. Perhaps due to the current political climate, the responsible forces in the world of Philippine academia have noticed that the clock ticks closer to midnight every minute of every day they lie complacent, and not augment and update the already seminal work of Mijares. So far, I've seen a few copies resurface from a few National Bookstore branches I visit on an irregular basis. That brings, at the very least, a little dose of hope for our anti-intellectual country. But a little hope is not enough. The intellectual community still needs more than a barely known text to bridge itself to the rest of the Filipino consciousness.
September 11, 2021
Given the context in which this was written, it deserves recognition for consolidating the many issues of the Martial Law regime of Ferdinand Marcos, at least for its first three years. For its content I can’t give this any less than 4 stars. It’s all quite important, and probably mostly accurate.
However, frankly, this was not a good read. I would go so far as to say that I doubt that the majority of the people who’ve claimed to have read this from cover to cover have actually done so. It’s frustratingly all over the place both structurally and thematically and overall feels like a first draft. And whoever organized the official PDF for this as released by ADMU seriously needs to re-read the document because it’s filled with so many distracting typos.*
It also devolves too often into hyperbole and in the process hurts the air of objectivity that the divulging of vital information would otherwise demand. Maybe this is because years as a propagandist forever shaped Mijares’s writing style, but none of that helps in making his case. Because of this he unfortunately occasionally sounds like an unreliable narrator.
Beyond my many stylistic issues with the book, I do think that the information it contains is necessary for a deeper understanding of the Marcos administration. It’s just a shame that it has to be so hard to read.
*Maybe the typos are in the original manuscript, but if that’s the case someone needs to edit them out for a cleaner edition. And maybe re-edit the whole book as well for better clarity.
However, frankly, this was not a good read. I would go so far as to say that I doubt that the majority of the people who’ve claimed to have read this from cover to cover have actually done so. It’s frustratingly all over the place both structurally and thematically and overall feels like a first draft. And whoever organized the official PDF for this as released by ADMU seriously needs to re-read the document because it’s filled with so many distracting typos.*
It also devolves too often into hyperbole and in the process hurts the air of objectivity that the divulging of vital information would otherwise demand. Maybe this is because years as a propagandist forever shaped Mijares’s writing style, but none of that helps in making his case. Because of this he unfortunately occasionally sounds like an unreliable narrator.
Beyond my many stylistic issues with the book, I do think that the information it contains is necessary for a deeper understanding of the Marcos administration. It’s just a shame that it has to be so hard to read.
*Maybe the typos are in the original manuscript, but if that’s the case someone needs to edit them out for a cleaner edition. And maybe re-edit the whole book as well for better clarity.
January 8, 2018
First of all, I do not question the authenticity of this book. These stories were something that I have already heard before from elderlies.
If you are a big fan of Joey Goseingfiao, you're in for a treat! I had trouble finishing this book because of the writing style, reminiscent of how Filipinos emulated the way Americans use the English language down to unnecessary idioms in the 70s.
I also question the intention of the writer in creating this tell-all word vomit. Patriotism? Sure. What started as a seemingly accurate account of the Marcos regime as seen from the inside, halfway through the book turns into a Mean Girls burn book. The author's frustration is palpable as I read through the power struggle stories he had with Marcos' other cronies, who include Juan Ponce Enrile, Fabian Ver, Fidel Ramos, and Kit Tatad.
Ten, twenty, thirty years later, some of these Marcos cronies are still powerful and influential. I couldn't help but wonder whether Filipinos are really that forgiving and/or forgetful?
This could have been a good material to read as a prequel to the succeeding historic events in the country like the assassination of Ninoy Aquino and the EDSA revolution if it weren't for the inconsistent writing style and the obvious bitterness from the competition among the cronies.
If you are a big fan of Joey Goseingfiao, you're in for a treat! I had trouble finishing this book because of the writing style, reminiscent of how Filipinos emulated the way Americans use the English language down to unnecessary idioms in the 70s.
I also question the intention of the writer in creating this tell-all word vomit. Patriotism? Sure. What started as a seemingly accurate account of the Marcos regime as seen from the inside, halfway through the book turns into a Mean Girls burn book. The author's frustration is palpable as I read through the power struggle stories he had with Marcos' other cronies, who include Juan Ponce Enrile, Fabian Ver, Fidel Ramos, and Kit Tatad.
Ten, twenty, thirty years later, some of these Marcos cronies are still powerful and influential. I couldn't help but wonder whether Filipinos are really that forgiving and/or forgetful?
This could have been a good material to read as a prequel to the succeeding historic events in the country like the assassination of Ninoy Aquino and the EDSA revolution if it weren't for the inconsistent writing style and the obvious bitterness from the competition among the cronies.
May 30, 2022
I turned the last page of the 763-page Revised and Annotated Edition of this work with a heavy heart, fearing that despite all the plunder, abuses, torture and other atrocities committed by the Conjugal Dictatorship as detailed in the book, the Philippines is again on the verge of electing another Marcos to the Presidency. This time it may be the son of Ferdinand and Imelda, who continues to hide and enjoy the billions plundered by his parents from my countrymen, as confirmed by several Supreme Court decisions. It’s wishful thinking but if only every Filipino will read this work, this country will still have a chance at redemption.
June 22, 2022
The Conjugal Dictatorship, written by Marcos Sr. former propagandist and media czar Primitivo Mijares, is a classic inside account of the Marcos regime's first few years of dictatorship. The book was published in 1976, prior to the end of martial law (1981) and Marcoses' downfall (1986). Thus, the book does not cover the entirety of the conjugal's dictatorship, and as the introduction declared: "The book is not finished, the Filipino people should finish it for me." After a year of its publication, the author mysteriously disappeared and declared dead years later. Even though he did not achieve the immediate purpose for his heroic defection, he had left behind a book and preserves history for posterity.
Since the return of the Marcoses in Philippine politics, specifically Marcos Jr.'s unfortunate win in the recent Philippine presidential election; the demand and popularity of this book surged. I have high expectations on this book especially due to its widespread promotion on social media, but the book failed to meet such expectations. These are the reasons:
First, the book is shaggy and voluminous. As Solzhenitsyn wrote, "The whole scope of this story, and of the truth, is beyond the capabilities of one lonely pen." Even though Mijares pointed out through this quote that his book is far from what should the Filipino people know; the book becomes dense due to its complexity of ideas, trivial narratives, and unnecessary details that I think should not be included. It juxtaposed his main purpose to expose the Marcoses to the Filipino people, because I am sure that majority of them would be tired to read this thick book. And maybe bored, because the writing is dull. It is too 'scholarly?' as it bombarded too much detailed and trivial information and even whole articles and decrees which a common folk could not understand or would be loathsome to understand.
Furthermore, there are also too much repetition on certain points of the book which I think contributes to its thickness. For example, he consumed a lot of pages regarding the story of how Marcos bribe him with a hundred thousand dollars to halt his confession in the US committee. This particular narrative is repeated again in the next chapters. I understand Mijares' courageous act here, and considered him as brave and heroic as he dared to fight the Marcoses. But, too much repetition of this part disrupts the book's organization. It makes me said "okay, I know, I already know, it's enough." There are other parts/story that are also repeated in the other chapters in another phrase, like his witty pun on the Marcos regime's Bagong Lipunan terms (e.g. Bagong Likuman, Gulangan Archipelago) and etc.
Second, the book's organization of points and ideas are not presented systematically with each chapters. For a casual reader like me, who just wanted to read for leisure and be informed to our history, this book is difficult to read. You needed a lot of interest and desire to this particular book/author/history to read this effectively. Added to my first point, the book also contains flaws and disorganization of thoughts. The physical copy of the book I owned published by Ateneo Press used single space to separate each paragraphs consistently and there is no smooth transition on how Mijares shifts his thoughts.
The book is difficult to read because its flow is confusing. In particular chapters, he talks about a specific topic (e.g. Ban Marcos agenda of the Congress), then he suddenly changes out of nowhere on the next paragraphs. In the next chapters, he will again open up that particular topic he already discussed before. There is even no sign or change in the spacing even though the topic is already independent in the preceding paragraphs. Each paragraphs are divided in a single space throughout every chapters! (Mijares only includes sub-topic/sub-titles in Chapter 10). It is like Mijares written up what comes out of his mind. Maybe because of the circumstances attached and the immediate need to finish the book, as Mijares, Marcos tentacles know no bounds. Thus, he had no time for a comprehensive revision.
Third, I disagree with some of his certain stand/points presented. Particularly:
(1) his claim that the Marcos' Bagong Lipunan (New Society) is like the barangay leadership/society in our pre-colonial past. Even though barangays in the past are in feudal and authoritarian leadership, Mijares' comparison is vague and dubious. The systematic and complex status quo of the New Society Marcos maintained through outright injustices is incomparable to our pre-colonial structure.
and
(2) his claim that the Filipino people should be inspired to Washington/America's national self-determination, democracy, sense of justice and nationalism to dismantle the conjugal dictatorship. Even though he presented some trivial basis to this claim, they are mere examples that should not be used to generalized American role throughout history. Is he unaware on the America's role to perpetuate the Marcos dictatorship? I don't think so, because he presented them in his book. Or he just shrugged off the America's imperialistic roles and neo/colonial policies that contributes to the kind of system he despised?
But still, there are good reasons to read this book. I finished the book due to my desire to undestand Marcos' history in the time of historical distortion and denialism perpetuated by the Marcoses' strategic propaganda. Mijares' book is an important primary account and an attestation of the dark history of the Marcos regime. The book comprehensively analyzed and explained how our political system can be manipulated by a certain individual and how the power can be wielded to satiate the insatiate avarice of the political elites and technocrats. Mijares also effectively discussed Marcos' wit and strategic policies to dress with a cloak of legitimacy his political plans to stay in power. The systematic corruption and plundering of the country is also presented in detailed, and its implications to the economy and the Filipino people. And also, his field of expertise, the media and censorship propaganda, are elaborated and externalized how it is utilized according to Marcos' interest and how it is suppressed during the Martial Law years.
There are a lot of information in this book. Even though it is not complete, it provided a glimpse of the conjugal's rise and stay in power.
As Mijares, Marcos recognized the importance of history. Thus, part of his propaganda is to rewrite history according to his needs and interests. He ensures that history will judge him according to his own judgement. Just like Marcos, Mijares also perceived the importance of history. Thus, to preserve the 'truth' of the Marcos' regime, he defected and untied his leash of loyalty to Marcos to write this book for posterity. A dichotomized appreciation of history between Marcos and Mijares existed; the former for the preservation of his family name and the latter for the preservation of the memories and truth-telling to avoid repeating history.
Decades has passed and the Marcoses grasp back in power. The same censorship, revisionism, and historical distortion are recurring in the age of digital information. Marcos' sense of history triumphed over Mijares' as of today. But the fight is not over and a revolution will surely come, and the Filipino people will reclaim its lost memory, dignity, honor, and freedom from the past.
#NeverAgain
Since the return of the Marcoses in Philippine politics, specifically Marcos Jr.'s unfortunate win in the recent Philippine presidential election; the demand and popularity of this book surged. I have high expectations on this book especially due to its widespread promotion on social media, but the book failed to meet such expectations. These are the reasons:
First, the book is shaggy and voluminous. As Solzhenitsyn wrote, "The whole scope of this story, and of the truth, is beyond the capabilities of one lonely pen." Even though Mijares pointed out through this quote that his book is far from what should the Filipino people know; the book becomes dense due to its complexity of ideas, trivial narratives, and unnecessary details that I think should not be included. It juxtaposed his main purpose to expose the Marcoses to the Filipino people, because I am sure that majority of them would be tired to read this thick book. And maybe bored, because the writing is dull. It is too 'scholarly?' as it bombarded too much detailed and trivial information and even whole articles and decrees which a common folk could not understand or would be loathsome to understand.
Furthermore, there are also too much repetition on certain points of the book which I think contributes to its thickness. For example, he consumed a lot of pages regarding the story of how Marcos bribe him with a hundred thousand dollars to halt his confession in the US committee. This particular narrative is repeated again in the next chapters. I understand Mijares' courageous act here, and considered him as brave and heroic as he dared to fight the Marcoses. But, too much repetition of this part disrupts the book's organization. It makes me said "okay, I know, I already know, it's enough." There are other parts/story that are also repeated in the other chapters in another phrase, like his witty pun on the Marcos regime's Bagong Lipunan terms (e.g. Bagong Likuman, Gulangan Archipelago) and etc.
Second, the book's organization of points and ideas are not presented systematically with each chapters. For a casual reader like me, who just wanted to read for leisure and be informed to our history, this book is difficult to read. You needed a lot of interest and desire to this particular book/author/history to read this effectively. Added to my first point, the book also contains flaws and disorganization of thoughts. The physical copy of the book I owned published by Ateneo Press used single space to separate each paragraphs consistently and there is no smooth transition on how Mijares shifts his thoughts.
The book is difficult to read because its flow is confusing. In particular chapters, he talks about a specific topic (e.g. Ban Marcos agenda of the Congress), then he suddenly changes out of nowhere on the next paragraphs. In the next chapters, he will again open up that particular topic he already discussed before. There is even no sign or change in the spacing even though the topic is already independent in the preceding paragraphs. Each paragraphs are divided in a single space throughout every chapters! (Mijares only includes sub-topic/sub-titles in Chapter 10). It is like Mijares written up what comes out of his mind. Maybe because of the circumstances attached and the immediate need to finish the book, as Mijares, Marcos tentacles know no bounds. Thus, he had no time for a comprehensive revision.
Third, I disagree with some of his certain stand/points presented. Particularly:
(1) his claim that the Marcos' Bagong Lipunan (New Society) is like the barangay leadership/society in our pre-colonial past. Even though barangays in the past are in feudal and authoritarian leadership, Mijares' comparison is vague and dubious. The systematic and complex status quo of the New Society Marcos maintained through outright injustices is incomparable to our pre-colonial structure.
and
(2) his claim that the Filipino people should be inspired to Washington/America's national self-determination, democracy, sense of justice and nationalism to dismantle the conjugal dictatorship. Even though he presented some trivial basis to this claim, they are mere examples that should not be used to generalized American role throughout history. Is he unaware on the America's role to perpetuate the Marcos dictatorship? I don't think so, because he presented them in his book. Or he just shrugged off the America's imperialistic roles and neo/colonial policies that contributes to the kind of system he despised?
But still, there are good reasons to read this book. I finished the book due to my desire to undestand Marcos' history in the time of historical distortion and denialism perpetuated by the Marcoses' strategic propaganda. Mijares' book is an important primary account and an attestation of the dark history of the Marcos regime. The book comprehensively analyzed and explained how our political system can be manipulated by a certain individual and how the power can be wielded to satiate the insatiate avarice of the political elites and technocrats. Mijares also effectively discussed Marcos' wit and strategic policies to dress with a cloak of legitimacy his political plans to stay in power. The systematic corruption and plundering of the country is also presented in detailed, and its implications to the economy and the Filipino people. And also, his field of expertise, the media and censorship propaganda, are elaborated and externalized how it is utilized according to Marcos' interest and how it is suppressed during the Martial Law years.
There are a lot of information in this book. Even though it is not complete, it provided a glimpse of the conjugal's rise and stay in power.
As Mijares, Marcos recognized the importance of history. Thus, part of his propaganda is to rewrite history according to his needs and interests. He ensures that history will judge him according to his own judgement. Just like Marcos, Mijares also perceived the importance of history. Thus, to preserve the 'truth' of the Marcos' regime, he defected and untied his leash of loyalty to Marcos to write this book for posterity. A dichotomized appreciation of history between Marcos and Mijares existed; the former for the preservation of his family name and the latter for the preservation of the memories and truth-telling to avoid repeating history.
Decades has passed and the Marcoses grasp back in power. The same censorship, revisionism, and historical distortion are recurring in the age of digital information. Marcos' sense of history triumphed over Mijares' as of today. But the fight is not over and a revolution will surely come, and the Filipino people will reclaim its lost memory, dignity, honor, and freedom from the past.
#NeverAgain
May 21, 2022
History is repeating itself.
September 1, 2022
siyempre umiyak ako mga mess hart 🥲
Read
October 5, 2022an essential read.
rtc
rtc
Read
July 2, 2020//my review is under construction. lol
Read
February 15, 2017I thought about reading this book back in September 2016 when I read an account about the death of Boyet Mijares, the author's 16-year-old son. Why the author would disappear and his son be killed are puzzles that could only be answered by leafing through the pages of this book. And now that I did, it's not hard to see why.
Mijares gives a detailed account of the inner workings of the duumvirate, and at times, the triumvirate. It's a tedious read what with all the dates, names, and places (plus back stories and annotations) per event, big or small. He also supports his own account with other literature.
I had a hard time reading the book as I needed to take a breather then and now. The lies, the bribes and extortion, and -- most especially -- the tortures and killings are just too much.
While it is but wise to take the narrative with a grain of salt, I think this should be a required reading in Philippine schools as it gives the most intimate glimpse into the Marcos administration. I also highly recommend it to people who insist that Marcos is a hero and that his terms were the golden times for the country. It also holds some relevance in a world that seems to embrace authoritarianism, as it forces one to ask: Do we really want to hand over our civil liberties to a strongman and his cronies?
Mijares gives a detailed account of the inner workings of the duumvirate, and at times, the triumvirate. It's a tedious read what with all the dates, names, and places (plus back stories and annotations) per event, big or small. He also supports his own account with other literature.
I had a hard time reading the book as I needed to take a breather then and now. The lies, the bribes and extortion, and -- most especially -- the tortures and killings are just too much.
While it is but wise to take the narrative with a grain of salt, I think this should be a required reading in Philippine schools as it gives the most intimate glimpse into the Marcos administration. I also highly recommend it to people who insist that Marcos is a hero and that his terms were the golden times for the country. It also holds some relevance in a world that seems to embrace authoritarianism, as it forces one to ask: Do we really want to hand over our civil liberties to a strongman and his cronies?
April 24, 2023
This book discussed details that should not be forgotten. However, this was a challenging read. While I appreciate the gist of Mijares’ revelations, for someone who wasnt born yet at that time, it was difficult to picture his narrations.
I hope there would be a new edition which would be an easier read for the younger generations who vaguely understand (or are unaware) of the martial law period in the Philippines.
I hope there would be a new edition which would be an easier read for the younger generations who vaguely understand (or are unaware) of the martial law period in the Philippines.
March 8, 2019
I appreciated the dry style for the sense of crisis and astonishment it conveyed. These days, in the era of Duterte, nothing surprises us anymore I suppose.
May 28, 2019
It is an expose from a former Press Secretary of President Marcos. He has hidden some "blind items" throughout the book, and it bears truth because of his exclusive access to Malacañang that time.
December 6, 2022
An essential read.
It should be part of the curriculum.
It should be part of the curriculum.
September 28, 2025
I read this book the way Tibo wrote it: slowly.
Primitivo Mijares had played a big role in spreading lies that favored Ferdinand Marcos, perhaps the most evil Filipino who ever lived. Tibo redeemed himself by writing this brick of a book, and for that I consider him one of the National Heroes of the Philippines. Instead of fighting Spain's oppression, he fought for the freedom of the country from what he called a "homegrown tyrant."
This book detailed the anatomy of Martial Law, headed by what Tibo called the Unholy Trinity: Marcos Sr., Imelda, and Kokoy Romualdez. Tibo showed how smart and deceitful Marcos was when he illegally went for another term and declared Martial Law. The author really covered a lot, even Macoy's pre-politics crimes and infedelity, which I was not familiar with before. And there was this meddling wife who enjoyed herself with the taxpayers' money, which Tibo exposed in great detail. She was deceitful like her husband and almost as evil, and Tibo made it clear that she played a vital role in this dark era of the country.
This book warns us the way George Orwell's 1984 warns us; I mean, how terrifying it is that this nonfiction book felt like a dystopian novel. Aside from this, the book also warns us of particular surnames. We'd know who to be wary of in today's politics; some of them are even still alive—one was an instrument in an orchestrated ambush. We'd really see the hands that led to and operated Martial Law, which was not just the Unholy Trinity. One of the interesting things I learned in this book was in Chapter VI, The Other Villains, which I think in some way goes against what Tibo had already said: Marcos did not panic into declaring Martial Law.
This book is readable but the data was overwhelming. Taking notes would help readers retain information; that's what I did (for the first few chapters, lol). There were repetitions, but I was not really bothered. This book is perhaps the densest one I've ever read. And I don't mind if I don't remember everything this book said (who would?), because I can always flip through the pages to repeatedly inform and remind myself.
I will say I did not enjoy this book, because I don't think it's meant to be enjoyed like how you would enjoy a novel. For me, this is purely informative and for research purposes. But perhaps there's still entertainment, and it lies in learning new things, not in the book itself.
I love that there are annotations/footnotes, so kudos to whoever put them. This would help readers learn more and easier. Footnotes should be included in decades-old History books that are being reprinted today.
Overall, you should read this book, the book which cost the author's son's life.
Primitivo Mijares had played a big role in spreading lies that favored Ferdinand Marcos, perhaps the most evil Filipino who ever lived. Tibo redeemed himself by writing this brick of a book, and for that I consider him one of the National Heroes of the Philippines. Instead of fighting Spain's oppression, he fought for the freedom of the country from what he called a "homegrown tyrant."
This book detailed the anatomy of Martial Law, headed by what Tibo called the Unholy Trinity: Marcos Sr., Imelda, and Kokoy Romualdez. Tibo showed how smart and deceitful Marcos was when he illegally went for another term and declared Martial Law. The author really covered a lot, even Macoy's pre-politics crimes and infedelity, which I was not familiar with before. And there was this meddling wife who enjoyed herself with the taxpayers' money, which Tibo exposed in great detail. She was deceitful like her husband and almost as evil, and Tibo made it clear that she played a vital role in this dark era of the country.
This book warns us the way George Orwell's 1984 warns us; I mean, how terrifying it is that this nonfiction book felt like a dystopian novel. Aside from this, the book also warns us of particular surnames. We'd know who to be wary of in today's politics; some of them are even still alive—one was an instrument in an orchestrated ambush. We'd really see the hands that led to and operated Martial Law, which was not just the Unholy Trinity. One of the interesting things I learned in this book was in Chapter VI, The Other Villains, which I think in some way goes against what Tibo had already said: Marcos did not panic into declaring Martial Law.
This book is readable but the data was overwhelming. Taking notes would help readers retain information; that's what I did (for the first few chapters, lol). There were repetitions, but I was not really bothered. This book is perhaps the densest one I've ever read. And I don't mind if I don't remember everything this book said (who would?), because I can always flip through the pages to repeatedly inform and remind myself.
I will say I did not enjoy this book, because I don't think it's meant to be enjoyed like how you would enjoy a novel. For me, this is purely informative and for research purposes. But perhaps there's still entertainment, and it lies in learning new things, not in the book itself.
I love that there are annotations/footnotes, so kudos to whoever put them. This would help readers learn more and easier. Footnotes should be included in decades-old History books that are being reprinted today.
Overall, you should read this book, the book which cost the author's son's life.
Read
April 8, 2021Is this a dying declaration of the author?
because after the publication of the said book the former is nowhere to be found then.
Primitivo Mijares is a lawyer, media czar during those times, a trusted man of Marcos who talked to him everyday; and a propagandist too, not until his defection he is giving us the ringside view of history of what was happening in the Malacañan, expurgating what he knew and stating it in the book so to speak.
Curiosity got out of me because i often heard the word Martial Law but i have no idea at all. Well, the book is boring, boringly boring like it didnt have any drawings unlike The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. LOL. but on a serious note it is super interesting that when you read one page of it, you will not like to put it down.
It says here that Marcos killed Nalundasan his father’s opponent and proven in the RTC but he was acquitted in the SC as penned by Justice Laurel because the latter can relate on it.
Of course, Martial Law is not possible without the conspiracy, connivance and complicity of his minions, cronies and ilks in the process.
A promise of New Society was just farce tarnished with abuses, corruption and atrocities was present done by Military men.
From jet-setting travel of Imelda to her acts of depravation one doesnt like to mess up with them.
I thought, Marcos is really amazing man among his contemporaries in the Senate but i was so wronged his arguments had no match with the likes of Sen. Tañada, Puyat, Salonga, Padilla, Aquino and Diokno.
If there is one chapter i would like to skip is the chapter where it describes how the military men electrify those person who were against the government, mutilated, punch, eyes were taken and others you can’t imagine.
Whew!? A very dark phase of our history circa 1972.
#theconjugaldictatorship
because after the publication of the said book the former is nowhere to be found then.
Primitivo Mijares is a lawyer, media czar during those times, a trusted man of Marcos who talked to him everyday; and a propagandist too, not until his defection he is giving us the ringside view of history of what was happening in the Malacañan, expurgating what he knew and stating it in the book so to speak.
Curiosity got out of me because i often heard the word Martial Law but i have no idea at all. Well, the book is boring, boringly boring like it didnt have any drawings unlike The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. LOL. but on a serious note it is super interesting that when you read one page of it, you will not like to put it down.
It says here that Marcos killed Nalundasan his father’s opponent and proven in the RTC but he was acquitted in the SC as penned by Justice Laurel because the latter can relate on it.
Of course, Martial Law is not possible without the conspiracy, connivance and complicity of his minions, cronies and ilks in the process.
A promise of New Society was just farce tarnished with abuses, corruption and atrocities was present done by Military men.
From jet-setting travel of Imelda to her acts of depravation one doesnt like to mess up with them.
I thought, Marcos is really amazing man among his contemporaries in the Senate but i was so wronged his arguments had no match with the likes of Sen. Tañada, Puyat, Salonga, Padilla, Aquino and Diokno.
If there is one chapter i would like to skip is the chapter where it describes how the military men electrify those person who were against the government, mutilated, punch, eyes were taken and others you can’t imagine.
Whew!? A very dark phase of our history circa 1972.
#theconjugaldictatorship
March 13, 2021
Bribery, intimidation, deception, and murder. Marcos was the type of man who would do anything and cross anyone for power. A man to whom virtue was entirely for show, and morality meant nothing.
The Philippines just can't catch a break from bondage and exploitation, be they of the long list of colonizers, or the infestation of Marcosian opportunists in government.
Even as I was about to finish reading this book, the Philippines was just fresh off its latest massacre, the "Bloody Sunday" massacre of activists and environmentalists on March 7. Just another in a long series of killings, detainments, and disappearances ordered and in some cases openly encouraged by president Duterte and his administration.
At first, I was put off by the author's unusually verbose and repetitive style, but that feeling was soon displaced by frustration and despair at the sheer magnitude of injustice, and how even a rape-and-pillage operation of this scale and recency is still being forgotten.
Mijares had it right when he said that the Filipino people had an unimaginably forgiving disposition. Marcos has died, the virtues of his past have been magnified, and his faults have been reduced to molehills. Now it seems the public is increasingly dismissive of the atrocities of Marcos' martial law as propaganda. It is not even unusual now for many to express nostalgia and a wish to return to Marcos' era; a prevailing sentiment which the Marcos descendants, still in Philippine politics, are not shy to exploit.
The pervasive public ignorance and indifference, historical revisionism, pro-Marcos propaganda, and desire for subjugation under an authoritarian strongman, have all made it just too easy for history to repeat itself.
The Philippines just can't catch a break from bondage and exploitation, be they of the long list of colonizers, or the infestation of Marcosian opportunists in government.
Even as I was about to finish reading this book, the Philippines was just fresh off its latest massacre, the "Bloody Sunday" massacre of activists and environmentalists on March 7. Just another in a long series of killings, detainments, and disappearances ordered and in some cases openly encouraged by president Duterte and his administration.
At first, I was put off by the author's unusually verbose and repetitive style, but that feeling was soon displaced by frustration and despair at the sheer magnitude of injustice, and how even a rape-and-pillage operation of this scale and recency is still being forgotten.
Mijares had it right when he said that the Filipino people had an unimaginably forgiving disposition. Marcos has died, the virtues of his past have been magnified, and his faults have been reduced to molehills. Now it seems the public is increasingly dismissive of the atrocities of Marcos' martial law as propaganda. It is not even unusual now for many to express nostalgia and a wish to return to Marcos' era; a prevailing sentiment which the Marcos descendants, still in Philippine politics, are not shy to exploit.
The pervasive public ignorance and indifference, historical revisionism, pro-Marcos propaganda, and desire for subjugation under an authoritarian strongman, have all made it just too easy for history to repeat itself.
February 9, 2025
i wish the critics would give more grace to the technical faults Mijares made in this book and recognize that it is a product of his present circumstances rather than using them to question his literary faculty. it is repetitive, discursive, hyperbolic, and condensed with highbrow journalistic prose that it reads less like an informational primary account exposing the authoritarian duumvirate’s inner martial machinations and more like an unpolished draft of a former media propagandist of the said duumvirate— writing a long-winded tirade against them and recounting the torture and mutilation of martial law’s murdered victims in the most intricate and flagrant details. it is without question that his name could have been among them before the book was even concluded.
so to speak, this is an exacting read that pushes beyond the convenient strata of tolerance but placing it within its historical and situational context can help overlook its structural defects. this is not to say that the book’s flaws in other department should be disregarded entirely. the oversight i can critique in good faith is Mijares’ limited, rose-colored view of America’s supposedly 'inspirational' and 'democratic' role in the Philippines during martial law when in truth they were among its perpetrators, establishing a neocolonial posture at the time. my professor mentioned this book in class when we arrived at the subject of Marcos’ martial regime and while this book covers only a portion of the larger history, i cannot stress enough the urgency of making this a mandatory reading for students as historical distortion threatens to become more rampant now that the Marcoses are back at the center of the political stadium.
so to speak, this is an exacting read that pushes beyond the convenient strata of tolerance but placing it within its historical and situational context can help overlook its structural defects. this is not to say that the book’s flaws in other department should be disregarded entirely. the oversight i can critique in good faith is Mijares’ limited, rose-colored view of America’s supposedly 'inspirational' and 'democratic' role in the Philippines during martial law when in truth they were among its perpetrators, establishing a neocolonial posture at the time. my professor mentioned this book in class when we arrived at the subject of Marcos’ martial regime and while this book covers only a portion of the larger history, i cannot stress enough the urgency of making this a mandatory reading for students as historical distortion threatens to become more rampant now that the Marcoses are back at the center of the political stadium.
October 12, 2021
Although lengthy and far too detailed, especially within chapters that explain the depths and ends of corruption that the disgusting Marcos regime has gone through lengths for, I believe that this is a compelling necessity that the next generation needs as part of their education.
From the involvement of US leaders to the enduring and steadfast grip of Filipinos from the US to the Philippines, on their integrity and values to expose the lies of the smiling Martial Law, it is safe to say that history is repeating itself, minus the Martial Law, along with the similar tactic of 'guns, goons and gold,' plus the onslaught of fake news and hired trolls.
To understand the terror, horror and the enduring intellect of egotistical proportions, coupled with delusions of grandeur and blatant abuse of power by this former President and his First Lady, Primitivo Mijares does justice in providing real time and firsthand testimonies from his time spent at Malacanang. He can be revered as one of our national heroes who wielded the power of the pen, as he knew that writing the truths that weighed heavy on his conscience while gaining the trust of Marcos, will warrant the worst consequence that only the most insecure and morally impoverished dictators resort to: execution for dissent.
May Primitivo Mijares and his son, Manuel 'Boyet' Mijares find paradise in the afterlife, from an unjust death among thousands of deaths of the brave souls, who continuously enable us and the survivors of this regime, to find our voice and fight for human rights and democracy every day.
#NeverAgain #MarcosIsNOTaHero
From the involvement of US leaders to the enduring and steadfast grip of Filipinos from the US to the Philippines, on their integrity and values to expose the lies of the smiling Martial Law, it is safe to say that history is repeating itself, minus the Martial Law, along with the similar tactic of 'guns, goons and gold,' plus the onslaught of fake news and hired trolls.
To understand the terror, horror and the enduring intellect of egotistical proportions, coupled with delusions of grandeur and blatant abuse of power by this former President and his First Lady, Primitivo Mijares does justice in providing real time and firsthand testimonies from his time spent at Malacanang. He can be revered as one of our national heroes who wielded the power of the pen, as he knew that writing the truths that weighed heavy on his conscience while gaining the trust of Marcos, will warrant the worst consequence that only the most insecure and morally impoverished dictators resort to: execution for dissent.
May Primitivo Mijares and his son, Manuel 'Boyet' Mijares find paradise in the afterlife, from an unjust death among thousands of deaths of the brave souls, who continuously enable us and the survivors of this regime, to find our voice and fight for human rights and democracy every day.
#NeverAgain #MarcosIsNOTaHero
August 30, 2022
Not even what is seemingly one of the most concise records of the plunder of the pearl of the orient can do justice to the needless suffering of its people. However, Mijares was as sincere as he could muster, only occasionally apologetic of his part in the ruckus, for which he compensates, as previously mentioned, with a concise, complete documentation of it.
Only those who tremble at the prospect of disillusionment would not dare to lay their hands on this work. I had not been equipped by this fear in the first place; instead, I was imbued by the hunger and thirst for a more comprehensive grasp of this dark chapter in contemporary Philippine history. I was made aware of this book by one of my facilitators in university last year, and the popularity garnered by the only son of the 'male half of the duumvirate', if I may, to the other half, throughout the campaigning and election period only compelled me to begin reading it at last.
Other than an account of the Marcoses' plunder of the Philippines, one takes a glimpse inside the key individuals and key events surrounding it. Hence, although this book clearly had an important agenda, it also serves among other things as a reliable historical document of the dawn of the late 20th century Philippines.
The Kindle copy is filled with typographical errors which are only made bearable by the content of the book, for which I am removing a star or point from an otherwise perfect review.
Whether you sprint through it or slog away, read this book anyway if you unabashedly call yourself a Filipino.
Only those who tremble at the prospect of disillusionment would not dare to lay their hands on this work. I had not been equipped by this fear in the first place; instead, I was imbued by the hunger and thirst for a more comprehensive grasp of this dark chapter in contemporary Philippine history. I was made aware of this book by one of my facilitators in university last year, and the popularity garnered by the only son of the 'male half of the duumvirate', if I may, to the other half, throughout the campaigning and election period only compelled me to begin reading it at last.
Other than an account of the Marcoses' plunder of the Philippines, one takes a glimpse inside the key individuals and key events surrounding it. Hence, although this book clearly had an important agenda, it also serves among other things as a reliable historical document of the dawn of the late 20th century Philippines.
The Kindle copy is filled with typographical errors which are only made bearable by the content of the book, for which I am removing a star or point from an otherwise perfect review.
Whether you sprint through it or slog away, read this book anyway if you unabashedly call yourself a Filipino.
July 30, 2019
Primitivo “Tibo” Mijares was the Chief Propagandist and Censor of Marcos’ military rule who turned into a high profile defector who testified in US Congress. His importance was underlined with his disappearance not long after this book was published. In this book, Tibo claimed that the Marcoses tried to establish a “Conjugal Dictatorship” with Ferdinand and Imelda at its head, to rule Philippines in perpetuity, an accusation I found to be ludicrous, since Philippines’ politics is filled with various political dynasties in every province, and the Marcoses were the one who came closest to rule them all. Many aspects of Marcos’ rule and abuses also discussed, all from the viewpoint of an intimate insider. Juicy tidbits here and there, such as Ferdinand’s sexual escapade with actress Dovie Beams, which was embarrassingly taped by her, and Imelda’s constant nagging and her apparent ambitions kept my interest up. However, I found myself overwhelmed by Tibo’s accusations that I was reduced into skimming and scanning later parts of the book. Tibo’s reason for his defection also needs to be examined, since he stood by Marcos from the beginning, he undoubtedly profited from Marcos’s authoritarian rule, so his late defection, by the first decade of military rule could be taken as a sign of his dissatisfaction. After all, an informative an exposing book, but a very boring one and questionable, at its best.
February 3, 2022
Written by one of Ferdinand Marcos's most trusted aides and chief propagandist, The Conjugal Dictatorship fully exposes the lies, crimes, and corruption of the Marcos regime that culminated in the declaration of martial law in 1972. The book covers various aspects of that period that only an insider could provide, among them the maneuverings of Marcos to cloak the martial law declaration with legality, the blatant corruption of his wife and cronies, and even his sexual escapades.
With another Marcos threatening to rise to power (the son, Bongbong), this is a must-read for all Filipinos so they can fully comprehend the evil infrastructure of the martial regime imposed by one of the most notorious figures in Philippine history. The length could be a turn-off, but is necessary given the mountain of information provided by the author. Overall, an informative and enlightening read that manages to be entertaining as well.
With another Marcos threatening to rise to power (the son, Bongbong), this is a must-read for all Filipinos so they can fully comprehend the evil infrastructure of the martial regime imposed by one of the most notorious figures in Philippine history. The length could be a turn-off, but is necessary given the mountain of information provided by the author. Overall, an informative and enlightening read that manages to be entertaining as well.
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