Death by Garrote: Looking Back 3 by Ambeth R. Ocampo

            I picked up the book with crime, death and perhaps mystery, in mind. There was no synopsis or blurb that I could refer to except Ms. Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil’s statement about the author. Alas! My expectation was generally wrong, but it is nice to be pleasantly surprised.

           

            This is a collection of tidbits of Philippine history, culture, food, our pecularity, etc. by a Filipino historian. I've met the author in a heritage topic meeting years ago in Cebu. I appreciated the different articles rolled into one book, learned more details about certain part history or our heroes, than the broadstrokes of the textbooks in highschool and college. I've always like Ocampo's style of writing, I read some of his articles in the newspaper;  very crisp, it provides intimacy in knowledge of a moment in our history. I was reminded of my history professor at St. Theresa's College, made me feel like I was there, with a dash of humour and wit. History told not in a boring tone.

            Everyone loves reading peculiar happenings that escaped the popular Press’ attention, and this book really gave you that, even the detailed menu of Aguinaldo’s breakfast! There was that elaborate and grand banquets that Captain Joaquin Arnedo of Sulipan, Pampanga prepared for his illustrious visitors in the late 19^th century! Did they really throw all those expensive china wares to the river after using it once?!  But one article really got me laughing out loud, the “Marcos’ Karate Chop” The incident was an attempt of perception management, trying to make Marcos looked good by allegedly saving the Pope from the assassination attempt! The author and i were thinking the same thing... the war medals!

            But where is Death by Garrote, the title? One article discussed how is death by garrote being executed. Contrary to my perception death by garrotte provided instantaneous death not a slow painful one. The executioner’s payment was also mentioned, they were paid per execution aside from their regular monthly salary. It is a profession or shall I say career?  There is another book I’m very interested to read “The Hangman’s Daughter” by Oliver Pozsch, about hangman as a profession. The second article abut garrote really touched me, because it tells about how the Gomburza faced garrotte, so different from what I thought. They were, after all human.

            I already bought Looking Back 1 and 2,  my husband, a history buff was reading it out loud and laughing as loudly, I had to stop him, else he will spoil my enjoyment of those two books!