Election fever in the Philippines are heating up and some of the potential candidates are trying to rewrite history in their favor.
In a recent interview from Toni Gonzaga's Youtube Channel, former senator Bongbong Marcos said, "I’m the son of the longest-lasting president who brought the Philippines into the modern world really, and who brought the Philippines a sense of nationhood."
The statement setup up a barrage of protest both in the Philippines and in the U.S.
Protesters in New York say that the twenty long years of Marcos’ dictatorial rule was far from the "Golden Age of the Philippines," that Bongbong Marcos claims happened. In fact, poverty incidence under the Marcos regime was at a high 44.2 percent in 1985 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Even with the pandemic, poverty incidence in the Philippines today is around 20 percent compared to under President Benigno Aquino III's term which was even lower at 16.5 percent.
Those who fought against the Marcos dictatorship and protested at the U.S Congress in the late 70's like Jane Orendain says Marcos was able to stay in power for two decades precisely because of Proclamation 1081 which placed the whole Philippines under Martial Rule on September 23, 1972. Protesters in New York believe that no Imelda Marcos beautification drive can cover the stench of the brutality of Marcos’ martial law.
"Under martial law there was curfew, the rights were taken away, there's no freedom of press and a lot of the freedoms were removed. How can that possibly be better?" Orendain voiced out.
Orendain urges Filipinos to truly learn Philippine history, and to stand up for their rights otherwise, a dark period like the Marcos regime, could very well happen again.