By Ryan Louis Mantilla

The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and other Filipino writers groups and academics denounce recent vandalism and red-tagging on two bookstores in Manila in a statement issued on Thursday, Mar. 24. 

"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," NBDB said in a statement. 

The 'Solidaridad Bookshop' in Padre Faura, Manila, and the 'Popular Bookstore' in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, was vandalized with anti-communist graffiti, accusing that the two said bookstores are part of the New People's Army (NPA).

"These vile acts are detrimental not just to the two independent bookstores that are fighting hard to stay afloat in this pandemic, but to the whole Philippine book publishing industry," the NBDB said. 

The NBDB also stated that the red-tagging would worsen the situation since the Philippines has low bookshop popularity.

The Popular Bookstore carries hard-to-find and rare progressive books on politics, while Solidaridad is known for its selection of Filipiniana titles. 

The Manila Critics Circle (MCC) issued a similar statement, urging authorities to take quick action against red-tagging.

"People should feel safe going to the bookstore, and they should not have their freedom to avail themselves of the literature of their choosing curtailed in any way. These businesses should not be threatened, nor should the people they employ," the MCC stated.

According to the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL), the two bookshops are sites of intellectual and artistic activity apart from selling books.

"Any attack on them should be considered an attack on all free and independent intellectual and creative work," UMPIL said.

The Philippine Center of the International PEN (Poets and Playwrights, Essayists, and Novelists) also emphasized in a separate statement that the police must probe the red-tagging incident. 

"Bookstores are channels of free expression and free opinion that are fundamental to the health and well-being of a democracy. With their liberal selection of titles, bookstores quietly but judiciously carry out debates and dialogues that keep democracy active and functioning. Ideological tagging and the violence of political partisanship achieve nothing but silence the bookstores and even drive them out of business," the Philippine Center of the International PEN wrote.

Further, the author of 'The Distance of Rhymes and Other Tragedies,' Joel Pablo Salud, also expressed dismay over the said incident. 

"This is an outrage! THIS IS SICK! First Popular Bookstore, now Solidaridad Bookshop! Got word from people managing the bookshop that it has been defaced recently by red paint, one clearly saying "NPA". Something's up, and I am pissed." Salud said.