In the heart of Paris, France, on September 22, 1892, a tragic event unfolded that would forever mark the life of renowned Filipino artist Juan Luna. Consumed by jealousy and suspicion, Luna committed a terrible act, shooting his own wife and setting in motion a chain of tragic events.

Luna's wife, the unfortunate victim of his wrath, suffered a gunshot wound to the head. She endured eleven agonizing days in a Parisian hospital before succumbing to her injury. Luna's actions were fueled by his unfounded suspicions of his wife's infidelity with a man named Monsieur Dussaq.

Luna's mother-in-law also fell victim to his violent outburst. He shot her as well, causing her immediate death. This act of violence within their Parisian home would have a profound impact on Luna's life.

Luna faced trial for the murders. The court sought to determine whether he could be held responsible for his actions. Unfortunately, due to a fire that destroyed the court archives, there is a lack of evidence from Luna's trial, leaving the details of the proceedings shrouded in mystery.

Despite the missing evidence, it is undeniable that Juan Luna confessed to killing his wife and mother-in-law, accepting responsibility for his actions. However, in a verdict that might seem puzzling today, Luna was acquitted on February 8, 1893. The court based its decision on a legal concept known as "temporary insanity" caused by intense emotions. This unwritten law allowed husbands to punish or even kill their wives for perceived infidelity.

Following his acquittal, Luna was ordered to pay financial compensation to the Pardo de Taveras family, amounting to 1,651 francs and 83 cents, plus 25 francs for postage. Additionally, he was required to pay one franc in damages, as per the legal term "dommages-intérêts."

“Kaya may phraseology na Solid North dahil naipakita na yan. Tingnan na lang natin sa resulta. Edi kung talagang ganyan [na walang Solid North] ay babalikan ko silang lahat, sasabihin ko wag nyo ko iwanan. So mabubuo pa rin namin yung Solid North,” - Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Description: The "Solid North" in the Philippines refers to the voting behavior in predominantly Ilocano regions, including Regions 1 and 2, which historically supported candidates from the North. This electoral phenomenon played a significant role in electing Ferdinand Marcos as president in 1965, his re-election in 1969, and his return to power after the martial law period in 1981. Marcos, being from Ilocos Norte, benefited from this strong regional support. However, it was also linked to electoral fraud in 1969 and the 1986 snap elections.

The Solid North phenomenon highlighted the Ilocanos' loyalty to the Marcos family due to both their ethnic ties and the perception that they fared better during the Martial Law period, with significant funds directed to the Ilocos region.

In the recent elections, such as the 2016 Vice-Presidential race where Ferdinand Marcos Jr. didn't win but received substantial support from Northern regions, and the 2019 Senatorial Race where Imee Marcos secured the 8th spot with the majority of votes from the Ilocos Region, this phenomenon persisted. In the 2022 National Elections, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos won the presidency against Leni Robredo. His victory was largely attributed to overwhelming support from the Ilocos Region and the Northern part of the Philippines. It divulges and clearly shows that the Solid North Ideology and Mentality in the Ilocos Region still manifests and continues to prove that they are visible and can be felt.

On December 8, 1941, Japan invaded the Philippines, leading to a dark chapter where women were coerced into sexual slavery known as "comfort women." These women were assigned to "comfort stations," visited by military officials after their duties. The Japanese government sanctioned these brothels through the "Rules of Use for Military Comfort Stations," claiming to prohibit violence against the women.

In 1932, Okabe Naosaburō, a senior staff officer in the Shanghai Expeditionary Force, documented his efforts to establish a comfort station in the Shanghai area in his diary.

“Recently, soldiers have been prowling around everywhere looking for women, and I often heard obscene stories [about their behavior]. As long as conditions are peaceful and the army is not engaged in fighting, these incidents are difficult to prevent. Rather, we should recognize that we can actively provide facilities. I have considered many policy options for resolving the troops’ sexual problems and have set to work on realizing that goal. Lieutenant Cononel Nagami [Toshinori] will bear primary responsibility in this matter.”

The record shows that senior staff officers from each army were generally responsible for issuing orders to set up comfort stations. Subordinate unit staff officers devised and executed plans for these stations, which were intended exclusively for the use of troops and officers.

The Japanese military employed various rationales to justify the establishment of the comfort women system. These included the desire to boost army morale, control soldier behavior, curb the spread of venereal diseases among troops, and prevent sexual assaults by Japanese soldiers to avoid hostility from occupied areas' inhabitants.  Despite the regulations, there was no effective enforcement or documented evidence of strict supervision.

The network of comfort stations was initially set up in Shanghai in 1932 and later extended to Japan, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaya, Thailand, Burma, East New Guinea, Hong Kong, Macau, French Indochina, and other regions. Comfort stations were established wherever Japanese troops were deployed.

In the Philippines, Lola Maria Rosa Henson (1929-1997) became the first Filipino comfort woman to publicly share her psychological trauma in 1992. At the young age of fourteen, Lola Rosa, from Pasay City, experienced the harsh impact of World War II when Japan occupied the Philippines in 1942.  Fueled by a growing resentment towards Imperial Japan, she later joined the guerilla group Hukbalahap. It was during this time that she endured her first rape by a Japanese military man and  months of experience being a comfort woman. 

In her memoir, Comfort Woman: A Filipina's Story of Prostitution and Slavery under the Japanese Military, Rosa shared her experience in April 1943 when she was started to abused by Japanese soldiers. 

“One morning in April 1943, I was asked by my Huk comrades to collect some sacks of fried corn from the nearby town of Magalang. I went with two others in a cart pulled by a carabao. One comrade sat with me in the cart, the other rode on the carabao's back. It was the height of the dry season. The day was very hot. ”

Once they had loaded the corn sacks, they returned to their barrio and approached the Japanese checkpoint. However, just thirty meters from the checkpoint they already passed by, the Japanese signaled them to stop and ordered them to return.

“The soldier raised his hands and signaled that I was the only one to come back and my companions were allowed to go. I walked to the checkpoint, thinking the guns were safe but I would be in danger. I thought that maybe they would rape me. 

The guard led me at gunpoint to the second floor of the building that used to be the town hospital. It had been turned into the Japanese headquarters and garrison. I saw six other women there. I was given a small room with a bamboo bed. The room had no door, only a cur- tain. Japanese soldiers kept watch in the hall outside. That night, nothing happened to me.

The following day was hell. Without warning, a Japanese soldier entered my room and pointed his bayonet at my chest. I thought he was going to kill me, but he used his bayonet to slash my dress and tear it open. I was too frightened to scream. And then he raped me. When he was done, other soldiers came into my room, and they took turns raping me.

Twelve soldiers raped me in quick succession, after which I was given half an hour to rest. Then twelve more soldiers followed. They all lined up outside the room waiting for their turn. I bled so much and was in such pain, I could not even stand up. The next morning, I was too weak to get up. A woman brought me a cup of tea and break- fast of rice and dried fish. I wanted to ask her some questions, but the guard in the hall outside stopped us from saying anything to each other.

I could not eat. I felt much pain, and my vagina was swollen. I cried and cried, calling my mother. I could not resist the soldiers because they might kill me. So what else could I do?”

She continued to be raped by the same Japanese officer for the next two weeks. 

For nine months, she endured confinement at a garrison, compelled to serve as a comfort woman. In January 1944, she was liberated by the anti-Japanese guerrilla forces of HUKBALAHAP (Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon).

In 1992, Henson decided to break her silence about her experiences as a comfort woman, becoming the first Filipina to do so. Her choice to speak out was spurred by a radio appeal for testimonies on the reported sexual enslavement of Filipino women by Japanese soldiers during World War II. At the age of 65, she chose to share her story.

In 1996, Lola Rosa was asked if she had forgiven Japan for the abuse she had gone through. She stated “I could also find it in my heart to forgive those who had abused me…… telling my story has made it easier for me to be reconciled with the past.”

Lola Rosa Henson's narrative is one marked by displacement on both physical and psychological fronts, spanning from her early years in Pampanga to her involuntary "capture" by Japanese forces during World War II.

Father Juan Severino was the first documented serial killer in the Philippines. In a decade, at least 57 individuals were reportedly killed by Mallari who served as a parish priest at the time.

But before the horrific crime was committed, Mallari displayed exemplary skill in his field. According to the Filipino Historian and psychiatrist Dr. Luciano Santiago, in his published book "Kapampangan Pioneers in the Philippine Church", Father Mallari was the first Filipino Priest to preside in Pampanga. This was during the Spaniard colonization when it was not common for Filipino priests to be in position. He was also one of the first Filipino priests that master the art of calligraphy which he applied in the parish annual reports. 

Thus, Mallari was able to gain support and utmost respect in his area, shocking the whole community when the truth came out. 

The reason lies on the priest determination to save his beloved mother which he claimed to be bewitched by a mangkukulam and mentioned that the lives taken from the victim was a way to revert the black magic. However, another concerning fact was believed to be the reason for the heinous crime. According to an issue of Singsing, a publication in a university in Angeles City, Pampanga, Father Mallari was afflicted by severe psychosis. Unfortunately, Mallari was not admitted to a mental institution but was arrested and hanged after 14 years of being imprisoned.

The FIlipinos are known for having a rich and diverse culture and beliefs. The long history of a series of colonizations that happened in the Philippines influenced its customs and local traditions. Filipino beliefs such as superstitions most of these involve ensuring good luck, avoiding bad luck, and even making good things happen, more deeply fixed as a guide in one’s everyday life. 

There are some possible explanations on how we develop these beliefs that influence our way of life and decisions we are making. It is believed that we had our Pagan beliefs before Roman Catholicism was introduced by the Spanish conquistadors half a millennium ago. The long interaction of the Chinese people and the FIlipinos may also vary. The influence of the ethnic Chinese starting with our immigrant ancestors who traditionally practiced so many colorful, superstitious beliefs. 

The ruling political and social elite (whether local datus and later the illustrados) concocted and spread all sorts of superstitions as well as numerous supernatural figures such as tikbalang, kapre, and duwende as part of social control, to manipulate and mesmerize the oppressed masses into acquiescence. This was highly effective as it instilled to the mind of the FIlipino people up until today as it passed down to one generation to other holding to as quote “There’s No Harm in Trying’ and “You’ll Never Know If You Won’t Try” 

Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was born into the Cavite local elite on the Philippine island of Luzon.  He was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who was officially recognized as the country's president.

Following his term, he was surrounded by numerous controversies, the most notable of which was his involvement in the treasonous killing of Supremo Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio. It was unknown for a long time who had them killed until a letter bearing his signature surfaced in 1948, claiming and admitting to being the mastermind behind the Bonifacio killing.

The day before his birthday in 1948, a letter was made public that was essentially a series of exchanges between him and his war Generals, Mariano Noriel and Pio del Pilar, regarding his orders for the fate of the Bonifacio brothers. Aguinaldo's letters are believed to have been written after the Philippines' first president retired from politics.  In these manuscripts, he admitted  that it was he who ordered the assassination of Bonifacio and his brother Procopio.

In addition to the Bonifacio controversy, he was scrutinized in other controversies, notably the Treaty of  Biak na Bato in which he began negotiations with the Spanish government. He eventually reached an agreement with the Spanish, agreeing to exile in Hong Kong in exchange for 400,000 pesos.  Soon after his arrival, Aguinaldo purchased the weapons his army needed to continue fighting.

The Treaty of Biak-na-Bato, as it was later  called, was signed on December 15, 1897.

Aguinaldo and the revolutionaries left for Hong Kong on December 24, 1897. In Hong Kong, Aguinaldo and his companions established a government that worked to continue the revolution and win freedom from the Spanish.