PEOPLE POWER COMMEMORATION

‘Guard against resurgence of dictatorship’

TWO victims of Martial Law warned the public to be on guard against the possible resurgence of a dictatorship.

Retired Regional Trial Court Judge Meinrado Paredes said Filipinos, especially young people, should always remember the lessons of history.

“The tendencies of yet another dictatorship are evident: extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and turning a deaf ear to advices (sic) from other countries,” he told Cebu Daily News.

“Incidents like these were actually what transpired during Martial Law. History is repeating itself. We need to be alert so as not to bring back the dark years of history,” he added.

Jaime Paglinawan, Bayan Muna–Visayas coordinator, also said, “What’s happening today is just like Martial Law.”

He said the continued existence of human rights violations and extrajudicial killings especially in the war against drugs mostly victimize the poor.
“Most of the affected here are the poor people,” Paglinawan said.

Quiet Celebration

Human rights lawyer Democrito Barcenas decried the plan to hold a “simple and quiet” commemoration of the Edsa People Power Revolution as the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte wants to “move on from just celebrating the past.”

“The Palace is trying to downplay Edsa, saying we must not get stuck in the past. I think the premise is invalid. We can never move on unless we always remember the struggles of people during Martial Law,” he said.

Paglinawan, on the other hand, said that the Duterte administration failed to give justice to the Martial Law victims.

“We are blaming President Duterte about this, for not giving the victims justice. This is an insult to the Filipino people. What happened to the stolen money of the people? That should be returned,” he added.

Barcenas, meanwhile, said Filipinos must always uphold the glorious moments of the 1986 Edsa uprising that toppled President Marcos.

“It was a triumph of democracy and people struggling against President Marcos’ dictatorship which people should not forget,” Barcenas said.

The veteran lawyer urged young people, the so-called millennials, to take the lead in remembering the Edsa People Power Revolution.

“The millenials should keep alive the spirit of Edsa. We must continue the struggle because there are ominous signs that democracy is being threatened by sinister forces,” he said.

Barcenas was detained for three months after the imposition of Martial Law in 1972 for joining groups that opposed Marcos.

On the other hand, Paredes was among the student-activists who were detained for a year when the Martial Law was declared on Sept. 21, 1972.

“How can we move on when remnants of the dictatorship of the past are still present? Let us be on guard against anything that threatens democracy,” Paredes said.

Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), advised people who will hold protest rallies today to maintain peace and order.

“We will observe maximum tolerance. But they should not be unruly. The police is just here to secure them,” he said.