May I beg your indulgence for a moment!

Everyday I read the papers or listen to the broadcast media and the greatest loot in history is still a controversial topic.

I get scared that before long it may be relegated to the realm of fiction, lose reality - especially for a new generation that gets farther and farther remove from the origins in struggle of the freedom they can easily take for granted.

I devoted so many years of my life to exposing the Marcos loot - even while it was still going on - with so many other activist researchers who are known to you. We will be the first to admit that this topic - so important, so necessary to understand, so huge to easily comprehend - has become only more complex with controversy and conflict. One would be naive to think the interests concerned would just give up and run away. They will not. They will do their worst at all times to use the existing government on their side. They will fight. They are. They do.

And we also must.

I think if more people can get into the historical, linear chronology of the background facts and process of the massive Marcos loot and Marcos crony capitalism - the topic will cease to be fiction and can take on the urgency of reality.

At the very least we should so build an awareness of this topic so intensely and so clearly that it will not be possible for any government or administration to abandon the struggle or to betray the people's interest.

This chronology is an attempt in that direction. Read it. Was it easy reading? If hard, was it understandable? Would you not want this disseminated? To whom? Would you want it translated - to what dialects/languages?

I want this to be a publication with no rights reserved.

Eternal vigilance (the guarantee of freedom) will not be possible without building awareness among our people - which in turn will be most difficult without materials to read, to discuss, to explore, to examine further, etc.

I have prepared a bibliography to accompany this short chronology. Please let me hear from you or tell the person who gave you this what you think and how you can help.

Charlie Roberts Avila