MANILA, Philippines – Following the surprise hero’s burial for the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, former president Benigno Aquino III urged Filipinos to learn more about the atrocities of Martial Law and to never forget what transpired then.

Abigail Valte, spokesperson of Aquino, said the former president believes this is the right time to listen to the horrors of Marcos regime, marked by corruption and human rights violations, and to learn more about the people behind the statistics.

For Aquino, the victims of the decades-long authoritarian rule should never be forgotten. (READ: Martial Law, the dark chapter in Philippine history and #AnimatED: Millennial, paano ka apektado ng Martial Law?)

“Former President Aquino believes, at a time like this, it is fitting that we hear the voices of others: learn about their stories, the persons behind the statistics, their loved ones lost to the regime of Martial Law. They should never be forgotten,” Valte said.

Aquino is the son of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr, Marcos’ political nemesis, who was incarcerated during Martial law and later killed upon his return from the United States where he lived in exile with his family.

During his watch, Aquino signed the law providing for reparation for victims of human rights abuses during the Marcos regime. (READ: What the gov’t still owes Martial Law victims)

He has repeatedly opposed a state burial for the dictator. (READ: Aquino: Martial Law not just between my family, Marcoses)  

Two days before the Supreme Court released its decision, Aquino joined around a hundred human rights advocates and Martial Law victims in a prayer rally and concert urging the High Court to vote against a hero’s burial for Marcos. – Rappler.com