Amado V. Hernández

Amado Vera Hernández (September 13, 1903–March 24, 1970) was a Filipino writer and labor leader who was known for his criticism of social injustices in the Philippines and was later imprisoned for his involvement in the communist movement. He was the central figure in a landmark legal case that took 13 years to settle.He was also a graduate of a school.

He was born in Hagonoy, Bulacán but grew up Tondo, Manila, where he studied at the Manila High School and at the American Correspondence School.

Writer

While still a teenager, he began writing in Tagalog for the newspaper "Watawat" (Flag). He would later write a column for the Tagalog publication "Pagkakaisa" (Unity) and become editor of "Mabuhay" (Long Live).

His writings gained the attention of Tagalog literati and some of his stories and poems were included in anthologies, such as Clodualdo del Mundo's "Parolang Ginto" and Alejandro Abadilla's "Talaang Bughaw".

In 1922, at the age of 19, Hernandez became a member of the literary society "Aklatang Bayan" which included noted Tagalog writers Lope K. Santos and Jose Corazon de Jesus.

In 1932, he married the Filipino actress Atang de la Rama. Both of them would later be recognized as National Artists: Hernandez for Literature, de la Rama for Theater, Dance and Music.

Works

Novels

His socio-political novels were based on his experiences as a guerilla, as a labor leader and as a political detainee.

*"Mga Ibong Mandaragit" (Birds of Prey),1969
*"Luha Ng Buwaya" (Crocodile's Tears), 1972

Poems

*"Isang Dipang Langit" (1 Yard Heaven)
*"Panata sa Kalayaan" (Oath to Freedom)
*"Ang Dalaw" (The Visit)
*"Bartolina" (Solitary Confinement)
*"Kung Tuyo Na ang Luha Mo Aking Bayan"(When Your Tears Dry Up, My Country)AsA

hort Stories

*"Wala nang Lunas" (No more Remedy)
*"Kulang sa Dilig" (Needs Watering)
*"Langaw sa Isang Basong Gatas" (Fly in a Glass of Milk)
*"Dalawang Metro sa Lupang Di-Malipad ng Uwak" (Two Meters in the Land Which a Crow Can't Fly on)
*"Ipinanganak ang Isang Kaaway sa Sosyedad" (An Enemy of the Society is Born)

Plays

His plays are mostly based on his experiences in prison.

*"Muntinglupa" , 1957
*"Hagdan sa Bahaghari" (Stairway to the Rainbow), 1958
*"Ang Mga Kaga _ga. Locke] , he advocated revolution as a means of change. On May 5, 1947, he led the biggest labor strike to hit Manila at that time. The following year, he became president of the CLO and led another massive labor demonstration on May 1, 1948.

In 1950, the Philippine military started a crackdown against the communist movement, which was had sparked open rebellion in some areas on Luzon island, and the CLO headquarters was raided on January 20, 1951. Hernandez was arrested on January 26 on the suspicion that he was among the leaders of the rebellion.

Imprisonment

But the authorities could not find evidence to charge him. For six months, he was transferred from one military camp to another and it took nearly a year before he was indicted on a charge of rebellion with murder, arson and robbery - a complex crime unheard of in Philippine legal history.

The case stirred the interest of civil rights activists in the Philippines and Hernandez was assisted at various times by legal luminaries like Senator Claro M. Recto, former President Jose P. Laurel and Claudio Teehankee, who would later become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. But he remained in prison while his appeal was pending.

It was while he was imprisoned that he wrote his most notable works. He wrote "Isang Dipang Langit" (A Stretch of Heaven), which later won a Republic Cultural Heritage Award, and "Bayang Malaya" (Free Nation), which later won a Balagtas Award. Also written in prison was his masterpiece "Luha ng Buwaya" (Tears of the Crocodile). Portions of his novel "Mga Ibong Mandaragit" (Birds of Prey) was also written while he was at the New Bilibid Prison. He also edited the prison's newspaper "Muntinglupa Courier".

After five years of imprisonment, the Supreme Court allowed Hernandez to post bail on June 20, 1956. He then resumed his journalistic career and wrote a column for the Tagalog tabloid "Taliba". He would later be conferred awards in prestigious literary contests, like the Commonwealth Literary Contest (twice), Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards (four times) and journalism awards given by the National Press Club of the Philippines (four times).

On May 30, 1964, the Supreme Court acquitted Hernandez in a decision that would be a landmark in Philippine jurisprudence. The case "People of the Philippines vs. Amado V. Hernandez" is now a standard case study in Philippine law schools.

Hernandez continued to write and teach after his acquittal. He was teaching at the University of the Philippines when he died on March 24, 1970. The University of the Philippines posthumously conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Humanities "honoris causa". The Ateneo de Manila University awarded him its first "Tanglaw ng Lahi" award. He was posthumously honored as National Artist for Literature in 1973. Together with poet José García Villa, Hernández was the first to receive the title in literature.

References

* National Historical Institute, "Filipinos in History" 5 vols. (Manila: National Historical Institute, 1995)
* [http://www.panitikan.com.ph/nationalartistsforliterature/avhernandez.htm/ Amado V. Hernandez]