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Publishing group slams KWF ban on distribution of 'anti-govt' books

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ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — A group of publishers on Saturday hit the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) for banning the distribution of what it deemed as &quot;anti-government&quot; books.</p><p>The Book Development Association of the Philippines described the move of the KWF, a body tasked to promote and develop the Filipino language, as &quot;highly disturbing.&quot; </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/13/22/one-of-books-purged-by-kwf-was-palanca-winner-author">One of books purged by KWF was Palanca winner, says author</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/11/22/kwf-bars-distribution-of-anti-govt-books">KWF bars distribution of &#x27;anti-gov&#x27;t&#x27; books; groups slam move</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Branding books as subversive violates our freedoms to think and express, first as human beings, and second as citizens of this democratic country protected by its Constitution,&quot; said the group in a statement. </p><p>&quot;It is highly disturbing that this action stems from a government body tasked to develop our national language and other Philippine languages, counting as members of their commission a few of the country’s prominent writers,&quot; it added. </p><p>The KWF, the publishers noted, should instead be &quot;stalwart of the very freedoms that allow language and critical thinking to flourish&quot; and not the very organization that discourages critical thinking. </p><p>&quot;Intolerance has no place in government, especially in an agency that should be a prime defender of expression,&quot; it said. </p><p>&quot;The Book Development Association of the Philippines stands with legions who defend our freedom to think and express, write and publish as fundamental to a nation that is democratic and progressive.&quot;</p><p>In an internal memo that sparked controversy, KWF cited &quot;inciting to commit terrorism&quot; found in Article 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act as grounds to cease the distribution of several books.</p><p>It also banned books that contains &quot;subversive&quot; and &quot;anti-government&quot; messaging.</p><p>Among the books considered as such by the commission were titles from the late National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera during martial law, and Reuel Aguila, a Palanca award-winning author.</p><p>&quot;Right now, we are stopping the books with subversive texts. We will see, moving forward, the instructions of director general of the commission,&quot; KWF commissioner Benjamin Mendillo said.</p><p>Scholars and members of the literary community criticized the move, with former Leyte-Samar KWF commissioner Jerry Gracio describing it as something that &quot;signals the death of scholarship.&quot;</p><div><strong>WATCH</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2169740" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

'It is highly disturbing that this action stems from a government body tasked to develop our national language and other Philippine languages, counting as members of their commission a few of the country’s prominent writers.'