1,400 Catholic schools back call vs ‘Marcos snares, Imeldific lies’

MANILA, Philippines – More than 1,400 Catholic schools represented by their group, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), joined the call against the supposed attempt of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr “to canonize” his father’s regime.

“The Trustees of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, representing the 1,425 CEAP member-schools, colleges, and universities, support the faculty of the Ateneo de Manila University in their call against the attempt of Ferdinand Marcos Jr to canonize the harrowing horrors of martial rule,” CEAP said in a statement late Monday evening, March 7.

The statement is titled, “CEAP Supports Call Against Marcosian Snares and Imeldific Lies.” 

CEAP issued this statement after presidents of the Philippines’ 5 Ateneo universities, run by the Jesuit religious order, lent their weight to a call against the “revision of history” by Marcos Jr.

In the statement released on March 7, CEAP said it supports the Ateneo de Manila University’s faculty in condemning “the attempt of Ferdinand Marcos Jr to canonize the harrowing truths of martial rule.” 

“With the same fervor, we cry our hearts out, ‘Never Again!’” CEAP added.

Like the Ateneo professors, CEAP said they remained committed to teach the truth, calling upon the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education to have “the same level of introspection.” 

However, they also admit possible shortcomings: “It seems we have been remiss in instilling in the youth’s consciousness about the regime’s brutal savagery. Instead they have been drowned out by the Marcosian snares and the Imeldific lies.” 

‘Willful distortion of history’ 

The original statement from the Ateneo faculty had nearly 530 signatories from the Ateneo community as of March 7.

Along with faculty from the Grade School, High School, and Loyola Schools, Ateneo Presidents have also added their signatures. 

Of these, Ateneo de Zamboanga University President Fr Karel San Juan, SJ and Ateneo de Davao University President Fr Joel Tabora, SJ are members of the CEAP board of trustees. Tabora is the CEAP vice president while San Juan is the CEAP trustee for the Zamboanga Peninsula.

The Ateneo faculty railed against “the shameless refusal to acknowledge the crimes of the Martial Law regime” and “the revision of history, disturbing vision of the future, and shallow call for ‘unity’ being presented by Marcos Jr and like-minded candidates in the 2016 elections.” 

They issued the statement in response to Marcos saying historians, not politicians, should judge his father’s rule. 

Catholic schools vs Marcos regime

Students and faculty of Catholic schools were some of the major opponents of the Marcos regime with many members joining the protest movements long before EDSA I in 1986. 

Ateneo graduates like former Antique Evelio Javier, poet and activist Emmanuel Lacaba, and youth activist Edgar Jopson were outspoken critics of the Marcos regime. All 3 died under Marcos’ rule. (READ: Edjop, Imelda Marcos, and the fear of forgetting)

Other prominent Catholic educators in the Philippines like Sr Mary John Mananzan, former president of St Scholastica’s College Manila, also stood up against martial law and participated in EDSA I.

Senator Marcos has staunchly defended his father’s regime, refusing to apologize for whatever may have happened during that period. (READ: ‘Bongbong Marcos knows what to apologize for’)

According to Amnesty International, about 34,000 were tortured. Nearly 3,240 were killed. Others lived to retell their ordeal so that the new generation would learn from this dark period of Philippine history. (WATCH: ‘Lucky day’: Surviving torture during martial law)

His popularity has been on the upswing and continues to rise despite his stand on Martial Law. (READ: Marcos years marked ‘golden age’ of PH economy? Look at the data)

In the latest February 15 to 20, 2016 Pulse Asia survey, Senator Marcos got 26% of the vote, a 3-point increase from January 2016. – Rappler.com