Coinciding with the 39th year anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, Akbayan lawmakers today filed a resolution urging the House of Representatives to officially declare former dictator Ferdinand Marcos an “enemy of democracy.”
House Resolution No. 1756 authored by Akbayan Representatives Walden Bello and Kaka Bag-ao called on Congress to condemn the atrocities committed by the late strongman. It also called on Congress to “strongly oppose” the revival of any proposal that would portray Marcos as a hero.
Akbayan said the Marcos dictatorship was perhaps one of the darkest parts in the country’s political history. The group said the Marcos dictatorship through the utilization of a brutal military establishment was responsible for 3,257 murders, 35,000 torture cases and 70,000 incarcerations.
Bello and Bag-ao also said that the former dictator imposed a “perfect authoritarian rule” by clamping press freedom, raiding corporate management, incurring illegitimate debts, and breaking into provincial administrations.
“This resolution is one of our humble contributions in defending the truth. Congress must take the lead in this endeavor for the sake of those who bravely fought the brutal dictatorship as well as the future generations,” Bello, a renowned anti-Marcos veteran, called on Congress and the public to protect the truth.
“Truth is, Marcos was a dictator, an enemy of democracy. It is a fact. Those who choose to ignore this piece of reality are themselves contributing to the weakening of democracy and truth,” Bello added.
The partylist lawmakers added that Marcos smashed all institutions of democracy and installed a society that was founded in fear, repression and tyranny. They also said the late dictator’s victims are still struggling and seeking justice against the crimes committed by Marcos.
"Decades after the Martial Law, victims of human rights violations have yet to receive their due. Akbayan works very hard in Congress to ensure that justice is issued to those who suffered during the dictatorship. Hindi pa tapos ang paghihirap ng mga biktima ng Martial Law at ng kanilang mga pamilya, hindi kami papayag na kilalanin si Marcos bilang isang bayani," Bello said, referring to HB302, an act providing compensation to victims of human rights violations during the Marcos regime, that awaits plenary deliberations.
Akbayan also reiterated their opposition to any plan to give the former dictator a hero’s burial. The group said those who are pushing for a hero’s burial were exhibiting callousness and great insensitivity to the plight of the late dictator’s victims.
For her part, Bag-ao deplored the “gross historical distortion” being done by the Marcoses’ spin masters in order to paint the former dictator in a good light.
“We are witnessing a major attempt at historical revision. We must not let them succeed. I encourage our young people to know more about their history. I encourage our student leaders to mount a strong campaign to make mandatory the teaching of martial law history in schools and universities,” Bag-ao said.
“We may be a forgiving people but definitely not a forgetful one. Compassion and justice can never be confused with attempts to exonerate a brutal legacy. There is a clear line between truth and lies,” Bag-ao concluded.
Imelda Marcos, who is the former first lady of the late dictator is a colleague of Bello and Bag-ao in the House of Representatives. She is currently representing the second district of Ilocos Norte. On the other hand, the former president’s children are also active in politics. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is a senator while former Congresswoman Imee Marcos serves as the incumbent governor of Ilocos Norte. ###
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