
September 21 marks the 49th year since Ferdinand Marcos signed Proclamation 1081 to put the entire Philippines under Martial Law or military rule from 1972 to 1981.
The event is considered as one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history and to this day remains a polarizing subject among Filipinos.
Today, many took to social media armed with the hashtags #NeverAgain and #NeverForget to remind the public about the horrors of martial law and its many atrocities including human rights violations.
“Para sa mga kabataan who want to know more, hindi gawa-gawa ang kwento ng mga Martial Law victims. Totoong tao sila, mga anak, kapatid, magulang, lolo't lola,” wrote TV personality Bianca Gonzalez on Twitter.
Para sa mga kabataan who want to know more, hindi gawa gawa ang kwento ng mga Martial Law victims. Totoong tao sila, mga anak, kapatid, magulang, lolo't lola. 4 minutes lang itong video, iniimbitahan kitang panoorin: #NeverForget #NeverAgainhttps://t.co/TgQDP6bTTW
-- Bianca Gonzalez (@iamsuperbianca) September 21, 2021
Actress Angel Locsin quoted Spanish philosopher George Santayana, writing, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” - George Santayana #NeverAgain #NeverForget #MarcosIsNotAHero https://t.co/sEGNFYgchm
-- Angel Locsin (@143redangel) September 21, 2021
Chef Angelo Guison posted a photo of himself while in a rally and holding a sign, “Stop the killings!” plus the hashtags #NeverForget, #NeverAgain, and #MarcosHindiBayani.
The IdeaFirst Company, the film and TV production outfit behind the projects Die Beautiful, Barber's Tales, Bwakaw, and Kalel, 15, among others, posted, “Sa Ika-49 na anibersaryo ng Martial Law, huwag nating hayaang burahin ang mga alaala ng mga nakipaglaban para sa ating karapatan at kalayaan.”
Other hashtags and subjects that dominated Twitter related to the historical event are #NoToHistoricalRevisionism, BatasMilitar, and Marcos.
Sportscaster Lia Cruz, for one, posted, “#NeverAgain #NeverForget and definitely: #NoToHistoricalRevisionism.”
#NeverAgain #NeverForget and definitely: #NoToHistoricalRevisionism
-- Lia Cruz (@liadcruz) September 21, 2021
Meanwhile, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Film, Broadcast and New Media Division are inviting the public to watch Ramona Diaz's film, Imelda, via its Vimeo channel until the end of September.
Witness Ramona Diaz's brilliant portrayal of the extraordinary life of Imelda, one of the most influential women in Philippine history and an instrumental character behind the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos.
-- CCP Film, Broadcast and New Media (@ccpfbnm) September 21, 2021
Now streaming at https://t.co/rdnaz8kcpN#CCPArthouseCinema @CineDiaz pic.twitter.com/OR6Dmu4LmZ