No pandemic can ever be a hindrance in remembering the infamous day when then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos signed Proclamation No.10181, declaring the Philippines under military rule exactly 49 years ago.
What ensued was an “era of impunity” where a brewing rebellion of student activists, nationalists, human rights defenders, and civilians was reinforced and intensified. The commemoration of Martial Law’s 49th year serves as a reminder of the horrors of Marcos’ military milieu; which plunged the country in a dark period, devastated the nation’s democracy, economy, and historically established a record of human rights violations.
UP President Danilo L. Concepcion signed Proclamation No. 1 in 2018 declaring every 21st of September as a UP Day of Remembrance in recognition of the university’s significant role against Marcos’ dictatorship and despotism.
The university will hold a week-long virtual commemoration with the theme, “Dambana ng Gunita: Mga Batayang Katotohanan at Aral ng Batas Militar” to bring to light the facts about human rights violations under Marcos’ Martial Law; debunk the myth of economic boom under the Marcos regime; Marcos’ “heroism”; and, the widespread corruption and cronyism of the Marcos regime that all led to the country’s demise. This will be held from September 20-24 whereas an on-ground protest will be conducted on September 21 in Liwasang Bonifacio.
With numerous human rights violations, media repression, economic recession, and a history that has led people with a skewed notion of Marcos, a five-day educational webinar will aim to unfold the truths and debunk the myths about Martial Law and the Marcos regime: Hindi Bayani si Marcos; Hindi Mapayapa sa Panahon ng Batas Militar; Nilabag ang mga Karapatang Pantao; Walang Golden Age sa Ekonomiya; Nagnakaw Mula sa Kaban ng Bayan, respectively.
On the other hand, the protests seek to remind the Filipinos to firmly uphold and safeguard democracy as atrocities continue to plague our system to this very day. This is also to highlight the gross negligence of the Duterte administration in handling the pandemic alongside, the plundering of government coffers, the state’s red-tagging machinery, the worsening state of education, and the regime’s human rights violations.
Duterte’s bloody and unlawful War on Drugs is a direct demonstration of a systematic attack against humanity. Anakbayan notes that there is really no difference between Duterte and Marcos. Based on what has emerged, the Philippines has achieved international notoriety on “war on drugs” murders that claimed the lives of 30,000 people, surpassing the death toll than that of Marcos’, giving the International Criminal Court (ICC) a strong basis to launch an investigation on the regime’s crimes against humanity.
“The Chamber found that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation, noting that specific legal element of the crime against humanity of murder under Article 7(1)(a) of the Statute has been met with respect to the killings committed throughout the Philippines between 1 July 2016 and 16 March 2019 in the context of the so-called ‘war on drugs’ campaign, as well as with respect to the killings in the Davao area between 1 November 2011 and 30 June 2016,” the ICC said in its decision that was signed by the presiding judges.
Presidential Counsel Salvador Panelo said in an interview with DZZB last September 9, that the President has continuously vowed to bar investigators from entering the country to conduct the probe, following his attack on ICC last July.
Additionally, President Duterte notes that he would prefer to “die first” rather than face an international tribunal. “The president didn’t have any reaction, because from the get go, he has said that he’ll die first before he faces any international courts,” Presidential spox Harry Roque told reporters last Thursday, the day after ICC announced its investigation.
49 years later, the Filipino masses are still influenced by historical revisionism and euphemism of the Pro-Marcos staunch apologists and Pro-Duterte demonstrators, invalidating the oppression and negating countless abuses, as they continuously enforce and propagate histories to be at parallel odds. At the height of these outright lies, Filipinos resoundingly cry, “Never Forget. Never Again”.
The livestream of the protests, educational discussions, webinars and the online exhibit will be available via TVUP.ph and TVUP’s YouTube channel. Itis open to the public or to anyone who is willing to join and participate in the commemoration in upholding and empowering the importance of democracy and human rights.
Register for the events here:
Day 1: https://tinyurl.com/DOR21DAY1
Day 2: https://tinyurl.com/DOR21DAY2
Day 3: https://tinyurl.com/DOR21DAY3
Day 4: https://tinyurl.com/DOR21DAY4
Day 5: https://tinyurl.com/DOR21DAY5
Featured image courtesy of Rappler
