1. Primitivo "Tibo" Medrana Mijares was a Filipino journalist, author, war hero, and former press censor and propagandist.
25 Facts About Primitivo Mijares
1. 2.
Primitivo Mijares was a reporter of the Philippines Daily Express, a newspaper in circulation during the regime of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.
3.
On October 23,1974, Mijares fled the Philippines for the United States, later issuing a defection statement in the United States on February 5,1975.
4.
Primitivo Mijares was last seen in January 1977, boarding a flight from Guam to the Philippines with General Fabian Ver and a nephew of Querube Makalintal.
5.
Primitivo Mijares was orphaned at the age of 12 after his mother Perla Medrana and father Jose Mijares were killed by Japanese soldiers during World War II.
6.
When Japanese soldiers attempted to commandeer the town's horses, Primitivo Mijares deceived them by pretending to give orders to his horse, while actually telling the townsfolk to hide their horses in a local dialect.
7.
Primitivo Mijares studied at La Trinidad Agricultural High School and became its "Mountain Breeze" editor.
8.
Primitivo Mijares pursued a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degree in the Lyceum of the Philippines University, and passed the Philippine Bar Examination in 1960.
9.
Primitivo Mijares became an editor for the Baguio Midland Courier in 1950 and the Manila Chronicle in 1951.
10.
Primitivo Mijares would write articles aimed at convincing Filipino citizens that martial law was needed, notably a press release for Juan Ponce Enrile's alleged ambush before such an ambush was set to happen.
11.
Primitivo Mijares was later selected by Marcos as the presidential reporter for the Philippines Daily Express following its reopening after martial law was declared.
12.
Primitivo Mijares later told Mijares to run for the position, which he later won as he had no opponents.
13.
Midway through the martial law period, Primitivo Mijares became disgusted with the Marcos regime.
14.
On October 23,1974, Primitivo Mijares fled the Philippines for the United States.
15.
Primitivo Mijares issued a defection statement in the United States on February 5,1975, and began living in San Francisco, California.
16.
On June 17,1975, Primitivo Mijares was to appear before a United States House International Relations subcommittee to testify claims of bribery, corruption, and fraud against Marcos.
17.
The night prior, Marcos made an international telephone call to Primitivo Mijares, asking him not to testify.
18.
Primitivo Mijares rejected the bribes and continued with his testimony as planned.
19.
Primitivo Mijares made his final phone call to his family on January 23,1977.
20.
Primitivo Mijares was last seen in January 1977, boarding a flight from Guam to the Philippines with General Fabian Ver and a nephew of Querube Makalintal.
21.
Urban legends claim that Primitivo Mijares was forced off of a flying chopper midway through Guam and the Philippines, although his family has denied such claim.
22.
Primitivo Mijares was married in the Philippines to the future Pasay City RTC Branch 108 Judge Priscilla de Villa Castillo on February 23,1956 in Manila.
23.
Primitivo Mijares was later found in an open field with his body completely mutilated.
24.
Former Philippines senator Rene Saguisag has mentioned that of all the heroes featured at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, Primitivo Mijares is the one who deserved to be there the most, and was shocked that his name was yet to be included.
25.
Primitivo Mijares only published one book, The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, an expose on the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos.