Groups say #NeverAgain to Marcos presidency on #EDSA36

MANILA, Philippines – On the 36th anniversary of Philippines’ People Power Revolution, groups commemorated the historic event with continued calls to fight historical revisionism by remembering the spirit of EDSA. 

Many made the call in order to prevent the late dictator’s son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from becoming the next Philippine president in the 2022 presidential elections.

Anakbayan PH’s national chairperson Jeann Miranda described the tandem of Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as “calamitous for the people.” 

“Junior and Sara represent the continuity of the darkest moments of Filipino history. Their electoral run is a living nightmare for everyone, especially the survivors of Martial Law,” Miranda said. Miranda also described that they are united in “driving our country back to the dark ages through greed, corruption, and violence.”

‘Block Marcoses’ political rehabilitation’

Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) recalled how People Power “marked the end of the darkest era in Philippine history” after much blood and sacrifices. With Marcos Jr. aiming to be the next president of the Philippines, SELDA vowed to block the Marcoses’ political resurgence once more.

“We did not cower when we faced the horrors of martial law before, and now is not the time to do so. We have not forgotten the Marcoses’ countless atrocities. More than ever, we, as survivors of the dark Marcos regime, are one with the Filipino people in this fight to prevent the Marcoses’ desperation for political rehabilitation. We had once toppled them from power, and we must not let them return. Never again!” said SELDA.

Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) said to not only block the return of the Marcos rule, but to also continue exposing and opposing the continuing distortion of our nation’s history. They recounted the sins of the Marcoses and stressed why their actions must never be forgotten. 

In the statement, they called out Marcos Jr. for denying the atrocities that marked his father’s dictatorship, and how the family still refuses to acknowledge their sins and crimes against the Filipino people. 

“Today, we at the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law call on all Filipinos to block the return of the corrupt and tyrannical Marcos rule. Let us expose and oppose the continuing distortion of our nation’s history. This must not be the last EDSA People Power Uprising that our nation commemorates,” concluded CARMMA.

CARMMA is a campaign network of martial law victims first formed in 2016 when Bongbong Marcos ran for Vice President. Despite his defeat in the 2016 elections, the organization remained with its role to remind the public of the many human rights violations committed during the regime of the late dictator.

Kapatid-Families and Friends of Political Prisoners, a support organization of friends and families of Philippines’ political prisoners, expressed their opposition to a Marcos comeback in Malacañang, and that Marcos Jr. should have been disqualified to run for office due to tax evasion.

Combatting historical revisionism

Kabataan Partylist Negros called the Marcos-Duterte rally that took place in Bacolod City as an “engineered spectacle” to give the illusion that the Negrenses have forgotten the horrors of Martial Law. They condemned the endorsement of 28 Negros Occidental mayors for the Marcos-Duterte tandem, and urged the youth to resist tyranny and honor the legacy of Negros’ martyrs during Marcos’ rule.

“We do not want unity among murderers. We’ve seen true unity at work during the EDSA revolt. It has proven that through the collective strength of the masses a seemingly invincible despot can be kicked out of power. We have done it before, and we will do it again,” said KPL Negros.

League of Filipino Students-Bacolod also called on Negrenses to not forget past atrocities fueled by the Marcoses, namely the Negros famine and the Escalante Massacre.

Two days prior, a Marcos-Duterte grand rally was held in Bacolod City, with a promised attendance of 80,000 supporters.

ACT Teachers Party-List–Cordillera said that they were once again called as educators to continue holding the line against misinformation, historical revisionism, and blatant deception.

“The work is not done as the epidemic of misinformation has crept up, making far too much damage as the dictator’s son makes a brazen attempt to take the presidency. As educators and agents of knowledge, the task of upholding and conveying history and the truth is needed now more than ever. We not only struggle against historical revisionism but also against the crumbling education system that does a disservice to our worth as teachers and detriment to the students that we are guiding,“ said ACT Teachers. 

Various networks of disinformation have long circulated around Marcos Jr. and continue to benefit him in his bid for the presidency.  – with reports from Andrea Abadia/Rappler.com