Smaller and Smaller Circles by Maria Felisa H. Batacan

Overview

• Author: Maria Felisa H. Batacan
• Genre: Crime novel
• Publication Date: Originally published in 1996
• Significance: Considered one of the first Filipino crime novels

Plot Summary

• Main Characters:
  • Father Gus Saenz: Forensic anthropologist, tall and wiry, teaches at a university.
  • Father Jerome Lucero: Clinical psychologist, compact and solidly built, younger than Saenz.
• Setting: Manila's impoverished Payatas slum.
• Premise: Two priests investigate the murders of young boys, who have been mutilated.

Awards

• Carlos Palanca Grand Prize for English Novel (1999)
• Manila Critics Circle National Book Award (2002)
• Madrigal Gonzalez Best First Book Award (2003)

Themes

• Social Commentary:
  • Addresses injustice and inequality in the Philippines.
  • Critiques bureaucracy, poverty, police corruption, the Catholic Church, and media indifference.
• Author's Perspective:
  • Initially written out of anger about the state of the country.
  • Revised in 2013, expressing increased frustration over worsening conditions.

Narrative Style

• Perspective: Primarily third-person omniscient, with interjections from the killer in first-person.

Key Events

1. Opening Scene:

   • Father Emil discovers a boy's body in a landfill, face peeled, heart removed, genitals taken.
   • This is the sixth boy found murdered in such a manner.

2. Investigation Dynamics:

   • Father Saenz performs autopsy, deducing the murder methods.
   • The investigation is complicated by police incompetence and corruption.
   • National Bureau of Investigation: Elderly director Lastimosa acknowledges the serial killer's presence and enlists Saenz.

3. Media and Corruption:

   • Investigative reporter Joanna Bonifacio aids the priests by retrieving information from officials.
   • Recognition that life is deemed cheap in the community.

4. Child Abuse and the Church:

   • Father Saenz is aware of a pedophile priest, Father Ramirez, who is protected despite his crimes.
   • The narrative exposes how the church overlooks serious issues for convenience.

5. Suspect Identification:

   • A mobile dental clinic in the community becomes a focal point of the investigation.
   • Dr. Alex Carlos identified as a suspect due to the similarity of murder weapon marks on the victims.

6. Climactic Confrontation:

   • Saenz confronts Carlos, who is struggling with his past trauma.
   • A police chase leads to a violent conclusion where Carlos is shot after attacking Saenz.

7. Aftermath:

   • Saenz recovers in the hospital, learns about Father Ramirez's corruption.
   • Saenz and Jerome visit Carlos's grave, reflecting on redemption and despair.

Author's Reflections

• Batacan's acknowledgments reveal a deep emotional investment in the themes of the book, highlighting her reactions to societal issues over time.