Book by Eddie Quitoriano, former NPA leader in Mindanao, launched in UP

The author (L) with Mindanawon scholar and historian Patricio Abinales during the book launch. Photo courtesy of Maricel Paz Hilario – Patiño

BGC, Taguig (MindaNews / 24 July 2026) – The first in a series of Philippine launches of Deeper Ground, Darker Shadows: The Making of a Mindanao Rebel, the memoir of Eddie L. Quitoriano, was held on July 23 at the UP BGC campus.

Published by Ateneo de Manila University Press by arrangement with the University of Wisconsin Press, the book tells the story of Mindanawon Eddie Quitoriano, who hails from Initao, Misamis Oriental, in two parts.

The first, “Walay Sapatos,” recounts his recruitment into the revolutionary movement and his rise as one of the top organizers of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and a commander of the New People’s Army (NPA), particularly in the Mindanao Commission.

The book recounts the author’s life in the underground, from Mindanao to foreign countries where he solicited support for the local armed movement. Photo courtesy of Maricel Paz Hilario – Patiño

Mindanao became the fastest-growing zone of the revolutionary movement until internal purges contributed to its decline as the Party decimated its own ranks.

The second part, “Deeper Ground, Darker Shadows,” follows Quitoriano’s journey abroad as an envoy tasked with seeking military assistance from sympathetic governments and other radical movements. His travels took him from the Sandinistas in Nicaragua to Syria, Libya, North Korea, Peru, Brazil, and Yugoslavia.

The memoir also tells how Quitoriano picked up the pieces of his life, reintegrated into mainstream society, and built a career beyond the revolutionary movement. He is now the managing director of Visus Consulting and an independent consultant on international risk management, conflict resolution, and security.

Separate launches of Deeper Ground, Darker Shadows: The Making of a Mindanao Rebel will also be held in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro City. (MindaNews)