𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗣𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟱𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Today, on the 21st of September, we commemorate and reflect on a pivotal period inked in our country's history—the Martial Law era. Fifty-two years ago, then President turned dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. signed into law the Proclamation No. 1081, which enabled a tyrannical and bloody regime that tortured and silenced the Filipino people leaving generational scars. In his vicious way of staying in power, for 14 brutal years, tens of thousands of Filipinos have succumbed to greater debt and death. 

In the present time, we face yet another Marcos, who reeks of nothing but greed for power. The son of a plunderer and dictator, whose ultimate political goal is to sweep under the rug of his family's hideous criminal cases and human rights violations against our nation.

Their blatant efforts to distort history and bend the truth are becoming more prevalent during Marcos Jr.’s administration. Further insistence on moving and removing significant dates from our history, like Proclamation No. 368 released by Marcos Jr., which excludes the EDSA People Power Revolution as a non-working holiday on the 2024 calendar, is an utmost disrespect in commemorating democratic movements. Moreover, obvious attempts to manipulate the education system by changing the nomenclature for the term “Diktadurang Marcos” to “Diktadura” according to a memorandum released by the Department of Education Bureau of Curriculum is a devious move in trying to instill wrong ideals in the younger generation. On top of that, a grandeur movie solely produced to depict the Marcoses’ last 72 hours in Malacañang, under the guise of a loving public servant family—who have been put to great shame and betrayal by the Filipino people—is another obvious and desperate endeavor in playing the Filipino people’s mind by trying to get support and sympathy from this movie. 

We must not forget the anguish and horror of Martial Law—tens of thousands of human rights violations, including 70, 000 people detained and arrested, 34,000 tortured, and 3,240 people killed during the Martial Law that strips Filipino peoples’ rights, to even an extent of skinning them alive out of their dignity. Never again must we forget the barbaric and frightening days that we are afraid to speak the truth and challenge the authorities for a better and democratic government—no longer we must tolerate the monstrosity of the Marcosian rule and dictatorship.

As campaigns of the current government trying to downplay the severity of the Martial Law regime—we must not overlook its blatant human rights violations committed under the nine-year military rule ordered by former President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. Martial Law unleashed the  arbitrary detention and arrest of the Filipino people perceived as political opponent by the government, thousands were forcibly disappeared and tortured—some of which are still awaiting justice to this day. In an attempt to provide reparation claims started by year 2018 by the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board, only 11,000 out of 75,000 received claims were provided justice due to absence of evidence, as media were highly manipulated during Marcos Sr. regime.  

No matter how hard the administration persists to portray the Marcoses in a good light — as they try to manipulate the people by downplaying the atrocities of Martial Law and propagandizing that they are the heroes and are the real victims — this will never change the fact that their selfish and grueling acts of oppressing and stealing from the Filipino people create one of the darkest and bloodiest moments in Philippine history.  More than ever, we must strengthen ourselves and stand our ground to combat these attempts of distortion, misinformation, and false narratives.

Up until today, we—campus journalists, student leaders, and the youth—still encounter proliferating state-endorsed attacks: intimidation, surveillance, red-tagging, and among many other tactics meant to threaten and silence us. It is as if we are trapped in a nightmare legacy of the Marcos era, one from which we cannot seem to awaken.

Article XI, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution clearly states: "Public office is a public trust." Those in power must always be accountable to the people, serving with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, acting with patriotism and justice, and leading lives of modesty. Yet, many in authority today show thin skins when faced with criticism. This only strengthens our resolve to keep fighting, for true leaders embrace criticism and genuinely serve the people.

We, as pillars of truth and justice, must blur out the lines and condemn any form of injustices and abuse of power. We must propel our influence in society, using our voices to steer the nation toward a desirable path, representing the youth and the broader Filipino masses. We will never grow weary of retelling the dark chapter of the Marcos legacy, a nightmare that continues to haunt the Filipino people.

𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁! 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲!

In solidarity with:

College Editors Guild of the Philippines

Ateneo de Naga University - Liderato kan Nueva Atenista

Council of Organizations in Ateneo-Naga

Office of the Buklod Ambassador - ADNU 

Liderato kan Nueva Atenista - Commissions on Elections

Naguenyou

Remontados: The Ateneo de Naga University Debate Society

Association of Bicol Business Students - ADNU Chapter

Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants - ADNU Chapter

Ateneo Nursing Students Association

Samahang Tagapagtaguyod ng Edukasyong Pilipino

Pioneers of Ignatian Expressive Electronic Arts and Learning Society

Tactics Dcs

PICE - Ateneo de Naga University Student Chapter

Liga ng mga Estudyante sa Agham Pampolitika

Legal Management Institute of Ateneo de Naga Students

Tourismo Ateneo

ADNU Media Studies Society

Rotaract Club of Ateneo de Naga University

Association of Psychology Students of Ateneo-APSA

Junior Ateneo Business Managers' Association - ADNU

Ateneo Dance Club

Teatro Aliento de Ateneo

Ateneo Film Society

Ateneo Hosting Association

ADNU Gabay Scholars' Organization

Ateneo Junior Marketing Association - Naga

UNC - League of Social Studies Majors

The Vital Signs

Ignatian Management Honors

ADNU Philosophical Society

Ateneo de Naga SHS Student Council - ASCO

Kurit Bulawan

The DEMOCRAT

APSA Psyche Publication

The Bicol Universitarian

Budyong Online

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐒𝐔 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧

The Heritage

The Naga Collegian

The Mariner-Mariners' Naga (OFFICIAL)

The Stateans Online

The Seafarers' Gazette

Ateneo Animal Management and Nurturing Network-ATAMANN

The SPARK

The BISCAST Collegian

SINAG

Economics Society

Ateneo de Naga Biology Majors (anBIOm)

Ateneo SHS Film Society

Bicol Pop

Kilyáb