THE TRUE DARNA!

THE TRUE DARNA!

DO NOT USE HER FOR FASCIST PROPAGANDA!

 

        I grew up admiring the komiks stories by Mars Ravelo (1916-1988). I was but a little child when I first saw the image of Ravelo’s greatest creation – Darna – from the pages of komiks that my Mom used to read. Although the first two Ravelo komiks stories that I saw were “Captain Barbell” (Pinoy Komiks, 1963-1964), and “Devlin: Swashbuckler of the Seas” (Redondo Komix, 1963-1964), but it was the images of Darna in “Darna at ang Babaing Tuod” (1964-1965) that I saw in old Liwayway magazines that my Mom kept in her aparador and, later on, in “Darna at ang Babaing Linta” (1968-1969) in Darna Komiks that were literally inked in my mind.

        My Mom was also a Darna fan. When we were watching a rerun of Rosa del Rosario’s 1951 Darna, she told me that it was the first movie that she saw when she was still a teenager. So, when “Darna at ang Babaing Tuod” was made into a movie, and my Mom and her friends were planning to watch it, I earnestly implored her to take me with them. They kept saying “children are not allowed” in the moviehouse, but I won through sheer persistence. It was the first movie that I saw and I was barely a toddler then.

        As I grew older, the idea of superheroes became part of my mind. I got the first taste of Marvel and D.C. superheroes when I was about 3 years old. My Mom saw that I like looking at local komiks, especially the superheroes. I could read with my eyes and my mind but I couldn’t read aloud, especially English. I was sort of dyslexic up until Grade 2 when I finally got rid of the problem. One day she bought me several imported comics. I so loved it. Every month thereafter she would buy me one or two. There were comics stalls in Divisoria selling them during that time. The experience with American comics superheroes didn’t, however, dissuade me from following the adventures of Mars Ravelo’s Darna.

        I never thought that I would meet “Uncle Mars” Ravelo, considered the most prolific writer in the History of Philippine Komiks, up until I started writing freelance for Atlas Publishing. Our editor-in-chief Mrs. Ernestina “Ernie” Evora-Sioco introduced me to him. And I got to talk to him several times. He was one of two persons who taught me how to conceptualize komiks stories and write scripts. I was also assigned by Mrs. Sioco to interview him twice.

        For what I know of Uncle Mars, he was inspired to conceptualize Darna (which he initially called Suprema and later Varga) when he saw the Superman comics strip created by Jerry Siegel (1914-1996) and Joe Shuster (1914-1992). He endeavored to write a story of a “female” version of Superman based on the maxim of “fighting for truth, justice and freedom” but for the “Filipino” way, and from the lasting impression and inspiration of his mother.

        The character Darna, therefore, Mars Ravelo will never use for unlawful, fascistic or terroristic propaganda. While it may be true that the Darna of the 21st century has evolved and merged into the Internet Era, the value ingrained in her by Ravelo should not be compromised.

        I specifically made this blog post after hearing from my artist-friends and seeing for myself that the character Darna being used for these anarchic purposes. There was this incidence when someone drew an illustration where Darna punched President Rodrigo Duterte. Darna fans were in uproar that their superheroine was used for an evil purpose. While there is freedom of expression, such freedom should be within the context of moral and justice. When you threaten the father and leader of the Filipino nation, that is a blatant disregard of moral conscience and justice, and can be construed as a treasonous or terroristic act. Then most recently, it is being fronted that Darna supports giving new franchise to ABS-CBN, the network that was closed down for violating the Law. Clearly a fascistic intent of using a well-loved Filipino icon to support a lawbreaker. I sincerely hope the heirs of Mars Ravelo are not agreeable to this evil scheme.

        DON’T WEAPONIZE HYPOCRICY by defending ABS-CBN! It’s NOT about the suppression of press freedom; it’s about stopping the propagation of deceits and lies through media! It’s about enforcing justice; enforcing the rule of law to a lawbreaker, even if that lawbreaker is an oligarchic giant like ABS-CBN!

     The primary aspects of journalism is conscience and telling the truth. Our country is in the midst of a pandemic crisis. What is our cry? – “We will win (against Covid-19) as one! We will heal as one!” Yet, there is this oligarchic network sowing lies, disunity and discord, distorting the news to paint a bad picture of the government and the president. Where is conscience in that?

ABS-CBN broke the Law. They should answer for that; abide by the decision; and accept whatever due punishment accorded them. But no, they stand resistant to justice. They want to show the public that they are all-powerful, untouchables! Using their all-powerful influences, they turn our lawmakers into puppets creating a law to break a law. WOW! ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES! But unlike in the previous regimes, the people, the Filipino masses are now wide-awake, learned, and they will no longer be swayed by glamorous deceits, not even when the network uses their stars and media personalities to argue for them. Not even if they use my favorite actress and Darna portrayer, Angel Locsin; not even if they use the iconic popularity of Darna.

        NO MORE! THE TIME OF THE OLIGARCHS IS OVER!
        Remember that if we do not put our acts together, if the government fails against this pandemic, all of us go with it!

        PRAY THAT WE HEAL AS ONE!

 

 

NOTE: Today, May 31, 2020, is the 70th anniversary of the showing of the first Darna film starring Rosa del Rosario.