Pumanaw na ang National Artist for Literature na si F. Sionil Jose nitong Huwebes ng gabi, January 6, 2022. Siya ay 97 taong gulang.
Ang malungkot na balitang ito ay kinumpirma ng Philippine Center of International PEN (Poets, Essayists, Novelists) sa pamamagitan ng isang official statement na inilathala sa Facebook.
Ayon sa PEN, kung saan si Jose mismo ang founder, binawian ng buhay ang National Artist habang naka-confine sa Makatid Medical Center kung saan nakatakda siyang sumailalim sa angioplasty.
Narito ang bahagi ng pahayag ng PEN:
"National Artist for Literature and Philippine PEN founder F. Sionil Jose has passed away.
"Jose died Thursday evening at the Makati Medical Center where he was supposed to undergo an angioplasty Friday Jan. 7, according to his wife, Tessie Jovellanos Jose.
"Tessie said Jose apparently died in his sleep. He was declared dead at 9:30 p.m.
"Jose turned 97 only last Dec. 3."
Ilang oras bago pumanaw si Jose ay nakapag-post pa siya sa Facebook, at ito ngayon ang nagsilbing huling mga salita ng National Artist.
Nakasaad dito: "Thank you brave heart.
"There are times when as an agnostic I doubt the presence of an almighty and loving God. But dear brave heart you are here to disprove this illusion, to do away with the conclusion that if you doubt Him, you kill Him. I cannot kill you dear heart; you have to do that yourself.
"For 97 years you have been constantly working patiently pumping much more efficiently and longer than most machines. Of course, I know that a book lasts long too, as the libraries have shown, books that have lived more than 300 years.
"Now, that I am here in waiting for an angioplasty, I hope that you will survive it and I with it, so that I will be able to continue what I have been doing with so much energy that only you have been able to give.
"Thank you dear brave heart and dear Lord for this most precious gift."
Dahil sa kanyang hindi matatawarang body of work, si Jose ay iniluklok ni dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo bilang National Artist for Literature noong April 20, 2001.
Kabilang sa kanyang mga obra ang short stories na The God Stealer (1959), Waywaya (1979), at Arbol de Fuego (1980); ang nobelang Mass (1981); at ang essay na A Scenario for Philippine Resistance (1979), na pawang nagkamit ng Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.
Ginawaran din siya ng Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts noong 1980.
F. SIONIL JOSE ON ABS-CBN SHUTDOWN, MARIA RESSA
Nitong mga nakalipas na taon ay naging kontrobersiyal si Jose dahil sa kanyang opinyon tungkol sa mahahalagang isyung may kinalaman sa media, partikular na ang pagpapasara sa ABS-CBN at ang paggawad kay Maria Ressa ng Nobel Peace Prize award.
Sa kanyang Facebook post noong May 8, 2020, tahasang sinabi ng National Artist na hindi kawalan ang pagpapasara ng ABS-CBN.
Ito ay makalipas ang tatlong araw pagkatapos ipag-utos ng National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) na ipatigil ang lahat ng broadcast operations ng ABS-CBN.
Napaso ang 25-year-legislative franchise ng ABS-CBN Corporation noong May 4, 2020.
Ayon kay Jose: "I'll not mourn the passing of ABS-CBN. The Filipinos do not really need ABS-CBN. It does not produce food or goods."
Bahagi pa ng kanyang pahayag tungkol sa dating giant network: "It has certainly entertained millions but it did not diminish poverty.
"Its demise, I dare say, is even good for Philippine democracy if it also means the dismantling of the Lopez empire... The Lopez family is a leading member of the oligarchy—far more powerful than any of the oligarchs, then and now."
Sa kanya namang Facebook post noong October 9, 2021, minaliit ni Jose ang paggagawad ng Nobel Peace Prize kay Ressa, co-founder ng Rappler.
Tahasang sabi ni Jose: "Maria Ressa does not deserve the Nobel
"I will be damned for stating this. Sourgrapes, etc. because I was in the listing of possible Nobel literary prize winners as published in international media.
"I have criticized Duterte but not on press freedom. The Philippine press is alive and well not because of Maria Ressa. No writer is in jail. There is no censorship."
Sabi pa niya: "Now, let us look at Maria Ressa’s credentials. The most important is she worked with CNN.
"I haven’t read anything memorable by her. She had developed important connections as this award has shown and was able to get foreign support for Rappler.
"Duterte was not serious with Maria Ressa, else he could have nailed her like he did with Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Senator Leila de Lima...
"Those Nobel judges were taken for a ride by western media hype."
Kasabay nito ay ipinagtanggol ni Jose ang administrasyong Duterte at inabsuwelto sa tuluyang pagpapasara sa ABS-CBN.
Pahayag niya: "Duterte hasn’t closed a single newspaper or radio station. The closure of ABS-CBN was made by Congress which did not renew the ABS-CBN franchise.
"Sure, he influenced Congress but the real issue against ABS-CBN as I have pointed out is not press freedom but money, politics, power and its abuse by the Lopezes who own the TV network."
Dahil sa kanyang mga pahayag na ito, na kumikiling sa pamahalaang Duterte, ipinagbunyi siya ng mga tagasuporta ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ngunit nakatanggap naman ng batikos mula sa mga kritiko.