Vibora! is a 2007 novel written by Filipino National Artist F. Sionil José

F. Sionil José

F. Sionil José or in full Francisco Sionil José is one of the most widely-read Filipino writers in the English language. His novels and short stories depict the social underpinnings of class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society...

. The novel narrates the life of an accidental hero, Benjamin Singkol, during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines

Japanese occupation of the Philippines

The Japanese occupation of the Philippines was the period in the history of the Philippines between 1942 and 1945, when the Empire of Japan occupied the previously American-controlled Philippines during World War II....

 after escaping from Bataan

Bataan

Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...

 during the Second World War. Singkol in turn narrates the life of Artemio "Vibora" Ricarte whose identity is being questioned: whether a patriot or a collaborator to the Japanese occupiers.