By Randy Espares Jr. and Shayne Elizabeth Flores

Award-winning author and former Rappler investigative reporter Patricia Evangelista urged Far Eastern University (FEU) students to keep telling their stories during her SAGE Lecture & Book Talk at the University Conference Center today, April 17. 

In an interview with FEU Advocate, Evangelista discussed what she hopes the students will get from her book discussion. 

“I hope they keep telling their own stories, I hope they keep a good record, but I also hope they keep listening to other stories–I’m sure they already are, I hope that they find something they don’t stand against, that they speak about it, that they resist, and that [they] pass the word,” she said. 

When asked about the experience in FEU, the award-winning author highlighted the Tamaraw community’s engagement. 

“It’s always a privilege to tell the story [of Extra Judicial Killings (EJK) victims] and the fact that the FEU was very engaging with the story and the book itself was very comforting,” Evangelista said.

During the talk, Evangelista asserted her stance on objective journalism.

“I am not an objective journalist. I don’t believe there’s objective journalism. I think the choice to cover the drug war, the choice to believe that random people should not be shot point blank on the street is already taking a side,” she explained.

With this, the award-winning author urges people to participate in her initiative ‘Ituloy ang Kwento’ (pass the word), which allows people to order her book for others to spread awareness.

The books will be pooled and distributed to municipal libraries, Human Rights communities, marginalized schools, and other places where people wish to share the story.

At the moment, the project has accumulated a total of 850 books. 

Unless they prefer to remain anonymous, buyers’ names will be publicized along with a list of the books’ recipients, which includes places with a high concentration of EJK cases.

Addressing potential criticisms for sensationalism, Evangelista emphasized that her reportage belongs to the people involved.

“This is not my story. These are stories of the people on the ground. If you are a Filipino who refuses to believe that blood was spilled on the street, that is no longer the problem of the families involved. I hope to have honored the stories. I hope to have done justice to what they told me,” she stated.

In line with the goal of passing the story, the event is part of Evangelista’s Philippine Book Tour for the month of April, which is being held in collaboration with various institutions, universities, and organizations.

The SAGE Lecture & Book Talk was spearheaded by the Institute of Arts and Sciences in partnership with the Department of Communication.

(Photo by Euxim Valonzo Garcia/FEU Advocate)