Philippine Illusions and Realities

During more than 15 years of active journalistic work both in the Philippines and New York City from 1923 – 1937, Pedro de la Llana tried to serve the cause of independent thinking in his day. This collection of his journalistic writings is an amalgamation of things literary, cultural, political, social, economic, philosophic, and even religious and now serves as historical documentation of the issues of that time period. The editorials caused a great deal of controversy in their time, and may serve to remind the reader of the interesting period in the social and political development of the Philippines and the influence of the United States in that history. One of his last magazine articles was an interview with Frank Murphy, last American Governor-General and first American High Commissioner in the Philippines and later appointed Supreme Court Justice of the United States. It was published in the Philippines Free Press on November 20, 1935, only a few days after the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth. This collection also includes an interview with H. L. Mencken, American journalist and essayist, conducted during Pedro’s assignment as a special correspondent of the New York Times. Pedro worked directly for General Douglas MacArthur as editor of the Flash Propaganda, an underground newspaper against Japanese occupation. He was often called the “Stormy Petrel of Philippine Journalism,” and his free expressions of opinion may have led to his brutal murder by Filipino guerillas in 1944. He was a courageous and dedicated journalist whose sole purpose was to always write the truth for the benefit of his countrymen.