Jose Torres Jr., LiCAS
On November 18, the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines joined calls against “‘tyranny and historical revisionism” as it marked the fifth anniversary of the burial of former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, at the country’s Libingan ng mga Bayani [heroes’ cemetery] in 2016, an action pushed through by outgoing president, Rodrigo Duterte.
“There is a united, unequivocal sentiment among freedom-loving Filipinos that there must not be any hero’s treatment toward a dictator who plunged the Philippines into dire poverty and who has also committed unfathomable human rights violations,” Kej Andres, the group’s spokesperson, said.
An estimated 70,000 people were arrested, 34,000 tortured, and more than 3,240 killed by state forces during Marcos’ 20-year rule in the 1970s and the 1980s, according to Amnesty International.
Some four out of 10 families were said to be poor before the start of the Marcos administration; this rose to six out of 10 at the end of the authoritarian rule.
The Guinness Book of World Records lists the Marcos rule as the greatest robbery of a government, with a national loss estimated at US$5-US$10 billion [$38.9-$77.9 billion] .
“There is no ‘golden age,’ as Filipinos suffered extreme poverty and experienced wanton killings, arrests and abuses. It is clear that it is the darkest part of our modern history,” Andres said.
The group, however, noted in a statement that disinformation has been rampant in recent days especially with the candidacy of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in next year’s presidential elections.
In a separate statement, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines called on the young people of the Philippines “to block any forms of historical revisionism and distortion that glorify the tyrannical rule of Marcos and whitewash the human rights violations.”
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
Regina Tolentino, the group’s secretary general, said, “We remain firm in our stand that a dictator responsible for the deaths of many Filipinos does not deserve to be laid in a place of honour.”
Meanwhile, The Promotion of Church People’s Response said all efforts to counter the restoration of the Marcos family to power are “vital for all freedom-loving Filipinos,” adding that “our faith impels us to stand up and fight for truth, justice and accountability.”
The organisation said, “The historical revisionism of the Marcoses must be shattered especially among today’s youth.”
Its statement said, “As Christians, we cannot allow another six years of injustice, inhumanity and untold suffering on the people. To truly build God’s kingdom on Earth, it is our moral duty to translate our faith into concrete action against these dark forces of evil.”
Earlier, various faith-based groups warned Filipinos about what they described as “an attempt to distort and reframe history” to paint a different picture of the years of martial law under Marcos.
“With the election season upon us, we underscore that every Filipino should assess and consider carefully what is true: Marcos is no hero,” read a statement released by the ecumenical group, One Voice.
“Let us not be misled by any attempt to distort and reframe history,” read the statement issued on November 18.
The group said, “Evidence of the dark days of martial law are before us,” citing the reported torture, imprisonments and killings of people that continue to proliferate in the country, and “the widespread poverty and massive corruption.”
The statement said,“We encourage everyone to discern the truth of our history and to apply such wisdom to present realities.”
