Patricia Evangelista coming to Ateneo for ‘Some People Need Killing’ book talk

In the book, Evangelista writes about the human dimension of the highly controversial drug war, which she covered for six years as a trauma journalist and investigative reporter. It takes its title from a vigilante whose words demonstrated the psychological accommodation many across the country had made. “I’m really not a bad guy,” he said. “I’m not all bad. Some people need killing.”

Some People Need Killing was released October 2023 by Random House to critical international acclaim. In citing it as the #1 Nonfiction Book of the Year, TIME magazine hailed it as “one of the most harrowing and brave books published this year.”

The New York Times Book Review named it one of the top 10 Best Books of the Year in 2023. It was also longlisted for the inaugural Women’s Prize for Nonfiction; shortlisted for the New York Public Library’s Helen Bernstein Book Award; and included in numerous "Best Book of 2023" lists, such as by The New Yorker, The Economist, and the Chicago Public Library.

Patricia Evangelista is a trauma journalist and former investigative reporter for Rappler. She graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman before working as a documentary producer for the ABS-CBN News Channel and as a columnist for The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Her reporting on human rights, armed conflict and disaster has earned local and international acclaim.

The event will be held at the Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Heights campus on Friday, 12 April 2024, from 230-6 pm. Onsite attendees must register at go.ateneo.edu/spnk-reg on or before Wednesday, 10 April 2024, 12 nn. (UPDATE 4 Apr 2024: Registration now closed.)

Event Details

Those attending onsite can pre-order copies of the book upon registering. Part of the proceeds will go to the families of the victims of the drug war. Ms Evangelista will also be available to sign copies of the book at the event.

The event is organized by the Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of Political Science, School of Social Sciences, University Gender and Development Office, and Rizal Library. For updates, visit ateneo.edu/soss/political-science.