Juan B. Escandor (November 14, 1941 - March 31, 1983)
, also known as Johnny, was a Filipino cancer specialist, radiologist, and later a rural doctor. During the period of
Martial Law in the Philippines, Escandor went underground
and joined the
New People's Army
The New People's Army ( fil, Bagong Hukbong Bayan), abbreviated NPA or BHB, is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), based primarily in the Philippine countryside. It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aimi ...
.
Known for his social work, his torture and death at the hands of
METROCOM The Philippine Constabulary (PC) Metropolitan Command or MetroCom ( es, Comando Metropolitana de la Constabularia Filipina, COMMET) was created pursuant to Executive Order of President Ferdinand Marcos on 14 July 1967 to supplement police forces wi ...
forces
remain one of the most prominent examples of
human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship
The dictatorship of Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos in the 1970s and 1980s is historically remembered for its record of human rights abuses, particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, ...
.
Life and career
Escandor was born in
Gubat, Sorsogon
Gubat, officially the Municipality of Gubat ( Gubatnon: ''Bungto san Gubat''; war, Bungto han Gubat, tl, Bayan ng Gubat), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...
and studied at Gubat National High School before taking up medicine at the
University of the Philippines College of Medicine
The University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine (CM) is the medical school of the University of the Philippines Manila, the oldest constituent university of the University of the Philippines System. Its establishment in 1905 anted ...
.
He graduated in 1969 and began specializing in cancer treatment, eventually becoming the Chief Resident of the Department of Radiology at the
Philippine General Hospital
The Philippine General Hospital (also known as University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital or UP–Philippine General Hospital), simply referred to as UP–PGH or PGH, is a tertiary state-owned hospital administered and operated ...
.
In 1971, Escandor recevied a
Colombo Plan
The Colombo Plan is a regional intergovernmental organization that began operations on 1 July 1951. The organization was conceived at an international conference, The Commonwealth Conference on Foreign Affairs held in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri L ...
scholarship and was sent to Japan to join the Third Seminar on Early Gastric Cancer Detection. By 1972, Escandor was consultant in the PGH's Department of Radiology in PGH, and eventually, Head of the Research Department of Cancer Institute.
Escandor volunteered in multiple government and non-government organizations to reach out communities in
Central Luzon
Central Luzon ( pam, (Reyun ning) Kalibudtarang Luzon, pag, (Rehiyon na) Pegley na Luzon, tgl, (Rehiyon ng) Gitnang Luzon, ilo, (Rehion/Deppaar ti) Tengnga ti Luzon), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...
and
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ) and has a population of 1,408,454 as of 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of Luz ...
, including the
PANAMIN PANAMIN, also Panamin or Panamin Foundation, was the nonstock, nonprofit organization created to protect the interests of Philippine cultural minorities. Headed and mainly funded by Manuel Elizalde, Jr., eldest son of a Filipino millionaire, but s ...
Foundation.
He also frequently reached out to urban poor communities around
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
to give check-ups, while also establishing a free clinic in his hometown of Gubat.
In 1972, Escandor was active in Operasyon Tulong, bringing medical services to flood victims in Central Luzon.
Escandor was also involved as an activist. He was one of the founding members of
Kabataang Makabayan
Kabataang Makabayan ("Patriotic Youth"), also known by the acronym KM, is an underground communist youth organization in the Philippines which was active from 1964 to 1975. It was banned by the Philippine government in 1972 when then-President ...
and was active in its workers' bureau. He organized the institutional workers in PGH, as well as working in urban poor communities.
In 1969, he was instrumental in establishing the Sorsogon Progressive Movement
and the Progresibong Kilusang Medikal in 1970.
During the
First Quarter Storm
The First Quarter Storm ( fil, Sigwa ng Unang Sangkapat), often shortened into the acronym FQS, was a period of civil unrest in the Philippines which took place during the "first quarter of the year 1970". It included a series of demonstrations, ...
, Escandor was at the forefront of mass actions in and around Manila.
Upon the declaration of
Martial Law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
, Escandor left his job at the PGH and went underground, joining the
New People's Army
The New People's Army ( fil, Bagong Hukbong Bayan), abbreviated NPA or BHB, is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), based primarily in the Philippine countryside. It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aimi ...
.
As part of the NPA, he continued his services as a doctor, primarily in serving in rural areas in the
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley ( ilo, Tanap ti Cagayan; fil, Lambak ng Cagayan), is an administrative region in the Philippines, located in the northeastern section of Luzon Island. It is composed of five Philippine provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nue ...
.
The Marcos dictatorship issued a PHP 180,000 reward for his capture, calling him the "NPA doctor."
Torture and death
Escandor and a companion, Yolanda Gordula, were last seen having dinner with friends in
Caloocan City
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...
on March 30, 1983.
The exact circumstances of Escandor's death are still unknown,
but official accounts state that Escandor was killed in a shoot-out with
METROCOM The Philippine Constabulary (PC) Metropolitan Command or MetroCom ( es, Comando Metropolitana de la Constabularia Filipina, COMMET) was created pursuant to Executive Order of President Ferdinand Marcos on 14 July 1967 to supplement police forces wi ...
units in
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
.
Escandor and a companion, Yolanda Gordula, were last seen having dinner with friends in
Caloocan City
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...
on March 30, 1983. According to official accounts of the time, Escandor was later shot dead during a firefight on Bohol Avenue in nearby
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
. Escandor's parents retrieved his remains and brought them home to Sorsogon.
A fact-finding mission led by Dr. Jaime Zamuco and Dr. Corazon Rivero conducted an autopsy on Escandor's body.
The autopsy findings showed that his brain had been removed from his skull and shoved into his abdominal cavity, and his skull filled with rags, plastic bags, and a pair of briefs. He also had six gunshot wounds and bore contusions on his body.
Gordula, meanwhile, was never seen again.
Legacy
Mourning Escandor's death, his medical school classmates paid tribute to him saying his death “''remind
us all that the primary duty of the physician is to heal. And that healing transcends social boundaries and political beliefs.''”
Escandor was among the 65 individuals first honored by having his name etched on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines'
Bantayog ng mga Bayani
The Bantayog ng mga Bayani (), sometimes simply referred to as the Bantayog, is a monument, museum, and historical research center in Quezon City, Philippines, which honors the martyrs and heroes of the struggle against the dictatorship of for ...
, which honors the martyrs and heroes who resisted the authoritarian regime of
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Escandor, Juan B.
Individuals honored at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani
1941 births
1983 deaths
Marcos martial law victims
20th-century Filipino medical doctors
People from Sorsogon
Bicolano people