Book on Marawi siege receives nomination for prestigious international award

A 2020 book on the Marawi siege has received a nomination for a prestigious international award.

Written by veteran journalist Carmela Fonbuena, "Marawi Siege: Stories from the Frontlines" brings a holistic perspective to understanding the conflict that erupted in Marawi City in 2017 and the long-term peace process in Mindanao.

It was one of five titles nominated under the special prize for war correspondents category of the Witold Pilecki International Book Award. The award was named after the Polish soldier who allowed himself to be captured by German forces to infiltrate the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.

"The nomination by itself I think is a reward already," Fonbuena told GMA News Online in an interview. "I feel that my goal in writing the book was accomplished because it was recognized na it is helpful in warning people of future threats."

Fonbuena, who is now executive director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), covered the Marawi siege as a reporter for Rappler. She was one of the first journalists to arrive in the city and closely followed the conflict until it ended in October 2017.

Her book contains accounts from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), local officials, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Maute Group combatants, and civilians. It attempts to piece together what happened in Marawi and what led to the conflict that left over a thousand people killed, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a once-bustling city reduced to ruins.

“I tried to present the narratives based on the perspective of the narrator talaga eh. And that’s an acknowledgment na talagang iba-iba ang appreciation of the events, it also shows na iba talaga ’yung pagtingin ni military at saka ni civilian on the very same day inside the Marawi siege,” said Fonbuena.

The author said the book aims to foster better empathy between the different stakeholders of the conflict and allow them to appreciate each other’s point of view.

“When you talk about Marawi siege and you talk to specific group of people, say you talk to the Marawi residents, they’ll tell you so many stories. And then you talk to the soldiers, they’ll tell you so many stories. But they saw very different wars because they’re only talking about it from their perspectives,” she said.

“I think it would help if they would understand each other better because ultimately in preventing these conflicts there needs to be cooperation between all these sectors involved. But then you listen to them talk about the Marawi siege, there’s hate, there’s anger, there’s all of these emotions, there’s a lot of questions that needed to be answered. So the book was an attempt to put them together,” she added.

Fonbuena also said the book is an attempt to counter “dangerous narratives” which perpetuate biases or generalizations against certain groups of people, such as blaming the Marawi residents for allowing ISIS-linked groups to enter their city.

“These narratives kasi are not helpful. So we have to counter that by telling the stories of the people,” she said. “We shouldn’t really forget who suffers most from these conflicts and it’s the people talaga. The book showed that but there should be more stories about how these conflicts impact the residents.”

The Pilecki award special prize recognizes books which provide reliable information concerning ongoing military conflicts or places where human dignity is particularly endangered. Other nominees for the award include books on sexual violence against women in war zones, the struggles of refugees seeking freedom, the history of the Rohingya tragedy, and territorial conflict between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region.

The winner will be announced by the Pilecki Institute on November 17 in Warsaw, Poland. Aside from the special prize, awards will also be given in two other categories: academic history book and historical reportage centered on the Polish experience of 20th century totalitarian regimes.

Winners will receive a commemorative statuette and PLN 75,000 (approximately P947,000) cash prize.

Marawi Siege: Stories from the Front Lines is available on Kindle and Fullybooked branches nationwide. – RC, GMA News