Fifty-one years ago on November 13, Pioneer Press closed shop with its last issue, a victim of political terrorism.

The Cebu city newspaper had prominently covered the fraud and violence that marred the election of November 8, 1949. This did not sit well with some local politicians and their leaders. The paper’s publisher-editors Angel Anden and Alfredo Cruz received death threats. When heavily armed men started visiting the paper’s editorial office, spoiling for a showdown, Anden and Cruz knew it was time to quickly fold tents. They fled to Manila.

In the paper’s last issue, poet Cornelio Faigao wrote in his regular front-page feature called “Canto Voice”.

The good fight is over, there’s/ nothing left to be done/But put down the pen with despairing/ and wait for another sun/When the idea crushed to the dust/will shoot again through the earth, /Bleeding but God-awakened, God-thrust, / intent on the inevitable birth.

So lie low, my lads, to forget awhile/the dreams of rosy mañanas, / To take up again the simple life/and spend the hours planting bananas.

Extracted from an article by Ybarra