Leni Robredo
LIBERAL Party’s vice-presidential candidate and Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo expressed sadness that some people believe that the Philippines was at its best during the martial law period.
Robredo said that this martial law myth could be easily shattered by facts and figures provided in the country’s history books.
“Nalulungkot ako na pag may nagpo-post sa social media na sinasabi na ang martial law years were the best years in our country’s history. Hindi naman madaling makita na hindi iyon totoo kasi nandiyan naman ang facts and figures (It’s sad when I see posts on social media saying that the martial law years were the best years in our country’s history. It’s not difficult to see that claim is false because there are facts and figures),” Robredo said in an interview, a transcript of which was provided by the lawmaker’s media bureau on Sunday.
She said that many lives were lost and many rights were violated during the Marcos regime.
“Nakakalungkot kasi hindi naman madali ang pinagdaanan natin. Pag ang kasaysayan natin ang babalikan, napakaraming buhay ang nawala, napakaraming buhay ang nasayang, napakaraming karapatan ang na-violate all in the name of politics (It’s sad because what we have gone through wasn’t easy. When we trace our history, many lives were lost and many rights were violated—all in the name of politics),” Robredo said.
Being a personal issue for her, the first-termer congresswoman said that she had attended various street demonstrations following the death of Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. while she was in college.
She also knew people whose family members were slain during the Marcos dictatorship.
“Marami akong kaibigan na ang members ng family nila naging biktima. Nakakalungkot lang na napakaraming nagbuwis ng buhay para lang makamtan natin ang tinatamasa nating kalayaan (I have friends whose family members were victims of the regime. It’s sad that many people offered their lives for the freedom that we enjoy today),” the vice-presidential hopeful said.