Philippine judiciary, midnight appointments, democratic institutions, corruption: Blessed coincidences for author of controversial book on judiciary

Blessed coincidences for author of controversial book on judiciary

By Maurice Malanes
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Posted date: June 01, 2010

THE HEAVENS MUST BE smiling at Marites Dangilan Vitug, author of the controversial “Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court.”

The must-read book for the next Philippine president and for every Filipino concerned about helping strengthen a crucial institution of democracy may have been rejected by its original publisher-distributor and a big bookstore chain. But even to Vitug’s surprise, the book has been selling briskly through more independent and smaller outlets.

“So there’s hope for would-be authors [whose work might be refused by established publishers and distributors because of controversial content],” says Vitug. “We can tap alternatives.”

Vitug was in Baguio City last week for a break. She also took time to promote her book before a meeting in the city of the members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

After the original publisher-distributor backed out and a major bookstore chain refused to sell copies of the book, Newsbreak, an online media outfit in which Vitug is editor, finally published “Shadow of Doubt.”

But the refusal of established outfits to publish, distribute and sell the book all the more generated public curiosity about it.

Surprise

Vitug feared her book would be eclipsed by the election. “To my greatest surprise, the controversial midnight appointment of the new Chief Justice [despite the ban on midnight appointments] helped generate more interest about the book,” she says.

President Macapagal-Arroyo’s appointment of Renato Corona, who is perceived to be close to her, courted controversies and scathing editorials and commentaries from critics.

Midnight appointments and Corona were also among the subjects of “Shadow of Doubt,” thus making it as hot as the current headlines.

The 13 counts of libel that a Supreme Court associate justice filed against Vitug in March also helped promote the book. The libel cases filed by Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. were based on an online report by Vitug about the propriety of the magistrate getting involved in partisan activities, with his son preparing to run for representative of Marinduque.

So it was not surprising that the first 3,000 copies printed when the book was launched in March were all sold out.

Newsbreak had to print another 5,000 copies, which were sold out after Vitug toured the cities of Cebu and Davao in April to promote the book.

Another 5,000 copies had been printed, which she would continue to promote through more “book tours,” says Vitug.

Lesson

One lesson, which Vitug says she learned from the experience in relation to her latest book (her fourth), was also devising and getting involved in marketing strategies such as promotional book tours.

After Baguio, Vitug says she and her publishers slated other book tours in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan and in Hong Kong, where she seeks to court the interest of overseas Filipino workers.

“Shadow of Doubt” no doubt is a book for presidents, students and citizens concerned about protecting and strengthening the judiciary, which is an important institution of democracy in modern societies.

This is why Vitug says, “I hope he (presumptive president-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III) gets to read the book.”

The book, she adds, is relevant to law students. She is grateful that the University of the Philippines Law Center has been encouraging students to read the book.
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