Marcos not a hero

Historical revisionism has gone real in our country. A person who was once a tyrant and will forever be remembered as one is now buried in the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani, a cemetery which is the resting place of the heroes of this land. Moreover, the dark shroud that looms during his regime is now slowly being bleached in the aim to paint the picture of a good statesman out from the realities of a tyrant who is considered to be the second most corrupt leader of the modern days.

For us Millennials, our knowledge about the Marcos regime are secondhand. We only knew about the atrocities, human rights violations, and the exuberant corruption from books, documentaries, and testimonies coming from our elders. The truth is that we only have historical accounts of what transpired during those years. Our knowledge is not firsthand and so it might be correct to ask “Who are we to judge the man?” After all, he was a president and a soldier. He deserves to be buried at the LNMB. The things that we know about him might be the part of history where it’s all about “his story” or to say it the least, is the point where the victor wrote the story.

If you have been nodding in agreement with the previous paragraph, I am to warn you that the remaining section of this article is not for you. Marcos is a corrupt leader and that is the truth. Marcos and his cronies committed human rights violation and lots of horrendous acts and that is the truth. Yes, Marcos was once the president of this country, but he abused his powers and desecrated the sanctity of our constitution and that is truth. Marcos was never and will never be a hero. His burial at the LNMB is not just an insult to the victims of the martial law years, but also a slap in the face of our democracy. Moreover, to be buried beside those who have sacrificed their lives for this country, this is one of the greatest blunders in the quest for truth and justice.

Right now, myths about the Marcos era are becoming sensational over the internet. Lies are being circulated as if they are the truth. A strong economy, corruption free infrastructure projects, peace and order, and many more are being showcased as the greatness of the Marcos era. These are all but lies. For the two decades of staying in power, Marcos and his cronies have done nothing but regress for our nation. In fact, from being the second most powerful economy in Asia, our country turned to being the “Sick Man of Asia”.

So going back to the question “Who are we to judge the man?” The answer is simple. We are the Filipino people, we are the nation who has fallen to be a victim of the thirst for power and greed of a man whom we thought was the best to lead this country. For us millennials, we may have not experienced the nightmares of Martial Law, but the evidences laid in front of us are very compelling. It was a nightmare and we should be thankful that the nation fought its way to wake up from it. More than the good things Marcos may have brought this nation, his crimes are unfathomable. This revisionism in our history should be stopped, and the best way to stop it is to know and spread the truth. Let us remember how many lives have been sacrificed for us to say the phrase “I am a Filipino.” Borrowing the words of the great Irish political philosopher Edmund Burke, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Published: The Façade Vol. 18 Issue No. 1, p5