| Patricio "Jojo" Abinales | |
| Birth Name: | Patricio Nunez Abinales |
| Birth Place: | Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental, Philippines |
| Employer: | University of Hawaii at Manoa |
| Known For: | Research on Mindanao politics Studies on Philippine state formation |
| Notable Works: | Making Mindanao (2000) State and Society in the Philippines (2005) Orthodoxy and History in the Muslim-Mindanao Narrative (2010) |
Patricio "Jojo" N. Abinales is a Filipino political historian and current professor at the School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.[1]
Abinales was born in Ozamiz City, Northern Mindanao, Philippines. He began his tertiary education in 1972, coinciding with President Ferdinand Marcos's declaration of martial law and the deployment of Philippine armed forces to Muslim areas of Mindanao to contain the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebellion. These events significantly influenced his intellectual and political interests, particularly in areas of despotic power, popular resistance, and local-national state dynamics under conditions of domestic conflict.[2]
Abinales has authored several books on Philippine politics and history:
Abinales has written about the 1986 EDSA Revolution, particularly focusing on its unique character as a movement that combined serious political resistance with moments of joy and humor. In his writings, he reflects on how the revolution's atmosphere of camaraderie and levity contrasts with contemporary political discourse in the Philippines.[4]
He has been a vocal commentator on Philippine politics, including critical analysis of the Duterte administration's policies, particularly regarding Chinese investments in areas such as Subic Bay.[5]
In "Lean Alejandro's Tsinelas Revolution," Abinales reflected on his friendship with Lean Alejandro, a prominent student leader during the martial law era, highlighting the role of grassroots activism in opposing the Marcos dictatorship.[6]
His article "Requiem for a Generation" examines the post-EDSA period and the disillusionment faced by anti-Marcos activists, while emphasizing the importance of their struggle for future generations.[7]