The Politics of Business

It's time to set the record straight: Herminio Disini was, by marriage, a relative of President Marcos. That much is true. But the stories you heard about bribery, "ill-gotten wealth," and life as a Marcos "crony" were embellished, misconstrued and fabricated. Now, after thirty years of political persecution and a total disregard for his legal rights, Disini tells his gloves-off story of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, the most controversial and litigated power plant ever built, the rise of the mighty Herdis Group and its subsequent dismantling owing to a "kiss of death" by the Central Bank, and the conspiracy of the Philippine government, courts and media to keep him embroiled in a legal nightmare forever. Disini writes of a life of litigation despite exoneration in three international courts and eighteen investigations, his painful decision to dismantle his empire to pay all of his bank creditors and depositors which he considered a matter of personal honor, a self-imposed exile, many betrayals, a near-death experience, and his renewed faith in God.Disini's well-documented story is a fascinating and timely look at what happens when a businessman is on the wrong side of politics. His legal battle and the PCGG's shameful "trial by default" should be required reading for all Filipino law students.