Filtered By: Topstories
News

A month after disclaimer, Enrile apologizes to Martial Law victims


Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has changed his tune regarding the human rights violations committed during the Martial Law period under late President Ferdinand Marcos and has apologized to its victims.

Enrile, in an interview on One News PH, noted that he was not aware of the more than 11,000 victims of human rights violations who had claimed reparations from the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board (HRVCB).

Enrile then apologized to these victims.

"I'm not aware of that number. I must confess that the depth of my learning has not gone that far, but if there were that much which I do not know and subject to evidence... I'm sorry if I hurt anyone of them," he said.

Enrile, 94, then admitted that human rights abuses were committed not only against those individuals who tried to oust Marcos from power, but also against opposition leaders as well as journalists.

"There's no question that there were..." Enrile said.

"If there were people who were hurt, I'm sorry that happened because I cannot control the people. I recognize that there were people who abused their power. I tried to prevent anybody from being killed or hurt," he said.

Meanwhile, Enrile, who served as defense minister during the Marcos years, also insisted that he had never denied that there were political arrests during the Martial Law period.

"I do not remember... Did I say that? Where? No, I didn't say that. If I said that maybe I'm in my unlucid interval," Enrile said.

Interviewed by Marcos' son, former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in September, Enrile challenged critics to name anybody who was killed or jailed for criticizing the government during the Martial Law years.

"Name me one that we executed other than [suspected drug lord] Lim Seng. There was none. Name me one person who was arrested because of political or religious belief. None. Name me one person who was arrested simply because they criticized President Marcos. None," Enrile said.

Critics have condemned Enrile for his remarks.

Enrile is seeking a return to the Senate in the 2019 midterm elections. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT