EDJOP: THE UNUSUAL JOURNEY OF EDGAR JOPSON
By Benjamin Pimentel

"None can usurp the height but those for whom the world's miseries are a misery, and will not let them rest." -Robert F. Kennedy

This is a book that explains how those words were lived by a Filipino fully and in his own way.

This detailed and fast-paced account of one of the most important but almost-forgotten heroes of the Opposition Movement against the Marcos dictatorship is a jewel of a book. It traces, with remarkable reference to facts and actual sources, how a gifted youth leader from a moderate and Catholic background transcended his own upbringing and initial convictions and dived into the epicenter of activism in the 70s and early 80s.

Edgar Jopson was an heir to a multi-million fortune from a growing business, the only son of a hard-working upstading family who was brought up with the utmost comfort and educated in the best institutions. Early in his youth he showed signs of promise: he led the Student Catholic Action, was the head of the Student Council and founder of AIESEC, Valedictorian, youngest president of the leading National student's group, and eventual Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines awardee. His leadership was grounded by his simplicity and acts of compassion. He was known to have given his scholarships to less fortunate classmates, shunned lavish gifts given to him by his family so he could blend in, forsaken a professional career and international career assignments to stay and contribute to the country, and tried to reach out to those around him. His thirst for knowledge went beyond the academics and led him to explore issues that were brimming beyond the then insulated atmosphere of the Ateneo. His exposure to the growing student movement in this capacity educated him on the tide of national events that were sweeping the country in the 1970s: Marcos' plans for autocratic rule, the increasing tide of Socialism that grew as a result of the failure of democratic reforms to address growing social concerns, the injustice of industrialists to the working class, and the indifference of the elite to social justice (sounds familiar?).

The book poses questions as much as answers to the controversy surrounding its subject: what led Edjop to abandon his lifestyle to join the Communist movement? Did he lose his idealism when he joined the Leftists, or did he redefine it? Was his struggle in vain? Is he a worthy example? What can we learn from a "mixed bag" such as Edjop?

The virtue of the book lies in three things:

One, that it leaves the reader with a wealth of events that allow him or her to answer it. There are so many different sides of the story that you appreciate how many people were affected by him, and how his life impacted those who knew and knew of him, from the national politicians to the common tao.

Second, it paints the environment of the 60s to the 80s so vividly: one can just enter that world and see the tragic beauty of it. That time was filled with hope, anxiety, promise, and pain as our nation's promising leaders were purged and persecuted by a dictatorship that gave us what we have today. Think "Star Wars" and the waning of the republic and the fall of the Jedi with Pinoy settings & subtitles. And in this environment, the keys to understanding Edjop's heroism stand out. To see growing disparity between rich and poor, sharp disillusionment of the youth, Filipinos divided amongst themselves and made helpless by an oppressive regime. One can just appreciate the moral dilemmas of a promising your individual whose idealism and love of country were boxed in and almost made helpless by the forces that brought the nation into chaos.

Third, it paints the day-to-day struggles of what it is to have "Moral Courage", which exists in the gray areas of a nation that is losing its identity and freedom. The book traces Edjop and how he applied the best of himself to everything he did--his studies, his friends, his fight for the oppressed labor unions, his work to organize the Socialist movement in the country and put meaning into reform. And plus the fact that he had a wife who shared in this struggle while both of them raised their kids beautifully under duress, is moving. Aung San Suu Kyi and Kent Nerburn (of another book we recommend) said: You don't seek leadership / you don't choose issues: leadership / the issues seeks / choose you. This book says it, and says it well. It redefines leadership and heroism with real examples.

Interestingly, you'll get to see familiar names here--from recent history or current events--and see how they kept with their beliefs, or sold out. Reading the book makes one understand what Dante said centuries ago: "that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those, who in times of moral crisis, preserve their neutrality." One will wonder about what he would've become had he lived, and been given strange comfort that he would've kept the fight while his colleagues didn't.

Edjop was the main source for the short bio that was featured in "Six Young Filipino Martyrs" (another great book), and his was the most striking because of the 'journey' this young man took in his search for heroism. That chapter was entitled "Edjop: the Magis Seeker". Which is the best way to summarize this write-up: Edjop was always seeking for ways to help, to be a person for others, wrestled with how he could do it, stopped babbling and just did it--in the end he made "taya", took a stand, and lived it all the way. His personal journey is something this country has benefited unknowingly from, and can definitely learn from almost 20 years after his death. And because he was young, then the youth have an example to look at and really "Carpe Diem" things. One can really appreciate how heroes can only be such once they themselves are transformed by compassion. All we need to do is take the labels off, transcend our lousy stereotypes, see heroism for what is, and apply it in our own ways. Enjoy!