Readers of this sequel may wonder why the original novel was not published at all. “One Day in the Life of a Filipino Sonovabitch” carried a lot of bitter jokes about the martial-law regime of (then) President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It was scheduled for publication by a New York-based subsidy (vanity) publisher in 1978, but when I found out from the television news magazine “60 Minutes” that the publisher’s business was no more than a racket feeding on the dreams of aspiring writers wanting to make it in the New York publishing world, I forfeited the $1,200 deposit I made. I decided not to proceed with the printing not only because of what I discovered about my publisher but also because I felt that the Filipino people were then not prepared and not courageous enough to read the novel I meant to use as a tool in fighting the Marcos dictatorship.

I must confess that the love story in this sequel was originally intended for submission to New York publishers as a separate piece, and totally distinct from the book “One Day in the Life a Filipino Sonovabitch.” I did not intend to inject any political comment into it.

However, as I went through the manuscript of “One Day . . .,” as edited by my erstwhile New York (subsidy) publisher, I found out to my dismay that I could no longer include more jokes and new data about the Marcos regime. So I decided to incorporate the additional information and new findings in this work, which I had been lazily writing with “One Day . . .” And I decided to merge the two book materials into one story, which I hope will become an epic work about the Philippines.

As I was about to go to press with “One Day in the Life of a Filipino Sonovabitch,” the EDSA People’s Revolution broke out, and I felt that the original novel, like the Marcos heritage, had become moot and academic.

I wrote with humor into both books because of a belief that I share with Simon Wiesenthal, who made a study of humor as “the weapon of unarmed people.” In his book, “The Sound of Polish Laughter,” Alan Levy added that “Polish humor, like Jewish humor, is the humor of a wounded people. It helps people who are oppressed to smile at the situation that pains them.” (1)

Now that Mr. Marcos is already dead, the original novel may not longer be relevant. Like President Marcos, it has become history. But should readers of this sequel demand it, “One Day in the Life of a Filipino Sonovabitch (Part I)” could perhaps be printed later.

In this literary attempt, I may be accused of pontificating. I do not claim to know all that besets the Philippines. I cannot even pretend that I know the solutions to the problems of my home country. I can only hope that my works will serve to open the eyes of President Fidel V. Ramos, who has succeeded Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino. There is room for changes for the better, not only politically but also in the fields of economics, banking, the military and even civil law, particularly the provisions detailing the law on persons and family relations.

In short, I hope and pray that the newly-elected officials of the government of the Philippines will finally learn from the nearly forty-seven years of comical errors, mismanagement, corruption, incompetence and pure hell and bull#%*!! that most of the past leaders of the Filipino people are guilty of.

Lastly, I wish to call to mind a simple point in grammar in answer to criticisms that the title of this novel insults the Filipino people. I did not choose to name the novel “One Day in the life of THE Filipino Sonovabitch” for it was not my intention to malign the Filipino nation. It must be admitted, however, that, as there are snakes in any forest, there are sonovabitches in any society. Remember that novel, which became a celebrated move, “Ugly American”? It did not offend America.

I continue with humor and tell the jokes currently circulating in the Philippines and among Filipinos in the United States. The belief I share with Simon Wiesenthal has been bolstered by Aly Mahmoud, who wrote: “. . . Once again, confronted with troublesome issues, the Egyptians have responded with a crop of jokes. They have traditionally coped with problems big and small with bitter jokes, the little man’s defense against overbearing rulers and great events beyond his control . . .” (2)

And finally, this sequel carries a message to the leaders of the United States and the Philippines: Enough is enough. Let the Filipino-American relationship that borders on a love-hate affair be elevated to something more practical and historical. The Philippines is America’s “bastard” child in Asia. Let the prodigal son called the Filipino finally come home and admit that, for all the ultra-nationalistic arguments, the whole of Asia, and in fact much of the world, see him as a “Brown American.” In this novel, you will see a lot more of this and in the forthcoming Part III.

Bobby M. Reyes
Los Angeles, California
December 1993

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