Lawmaker cheers lifting of order vs supposedly subversive books 

A MINORITY lawmaker on Monday cheered the language commission’s resolution to rescind an earlier order condemning the publication and distribution of books tagged as subversive.   

Last month, the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) released a memorandum that banned five books that supposedly “incite to commit terrorism.”   

“We welcome KWF Resolution 27 series of 2022 which stated the withdrawal of signatures by some KWF commissioners from their earlier orders that condemned the publication and distribution of so-called ‘subversive’ books,” ACT-Teacher Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said in a statement.   

Ms. Castro, also House deputy minority leader, said the memorandum “violated academic freedom, freedom of expression, and other rights of the people.”   

She said the books that were affected by the commission’s proclamation should be printed and distributed.   

“We urge the Filipino people to stay vigilant in the attempts of the state to attack academic freedom, press freedom, and the people’s right to free speech,” Ms. Castro said. — Matthew Carl L. Montecillo