Abraham Sarmiento Jr.
Abraham "Ditto" Pascual Sarmiento Jr. (June 5, 1950 – November 11, 1977) was a Filipino student journalist who gained prominence as an early and visible critic of the martial law regime of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. As editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian, Ditto melded the University of the Philippines student newspaper into an independent though solitary voice against martial law rule at a time when the mass media was under the control of the Marcos government. His subsequent seven-month imprisonment by the military impaired his health and contributed to his premature death. Early life Ditto was born in Santa Mesa, Manila. His father, Abraham Sarmiento Sr., was a well-known lawyer and close friend of President Diosdado Macapagal who would be appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines years after his son's death. His mother, Irene, was a member of the Pascual family of Malabon, who founded Pascual Laboratories in 1946. As a child, Ditto was a voracious reader who would engage in discussions with adults about literature, religion and art. Ditto finished his primary and secondary education at the Ateneo de Manila. He distinguished himself at the Ateneo with his high marks and literary skills and even