Exec resigns over Irene Marcos’ presence at Ateneo amphitheater launch

The head of Ateneo de Manila University's creative hub and art complex Areté has resigned following the backlash over the invitation of Irene Marcos to a school event over the weekend.

In a statement posted Friday, ADMU president Jose Villarin said he has accepted the voluntary resignation of Areté executive director Yael Buencamino.

Buencamino was said to have "personally" invited Irene Marcos to the launch of the school's Areté amphitheater on April 7, 2019.

"I have accepted her resignation as executive director, even as I acknowledge with gratitude her exemplary performance in shepherding Areté during this nascent stage of its development," Villarin said.

The attendance of the third and youngest biological child of former President Ferdinand Marcos to the campus event sparked outrage from the Ateneo de Manila University's student body.

The Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola slammed Irene Marcos's participation as a "grave insult and vehement mockery" to martial law survivors and demanded an apology and explanation from the Areté administration.

"The University recognizes that her presence, even in a personal capacity, has cast doubts regarding its solidarity with the victims of the Martial Law regime," Villarin said in his statement.

"We offer our deepest apologies for the hurt this has brought," he added.

Villarin also emphasized that the "unintended consequences" of the incident do not mean that the University has turned a blind eye to the atrocities committed during the Martial Law regime.

"If anything, they have strengthened the University's unfailing commitment to help seek justice for the vitims of the regime, to counter historical revisionism and to educate the Ateneo community regarding the regime's pernicious effects on Philippine society," he said.

The university president expressed hope that the school community would "learn from our missteps."

"I call on the University community to hold fast to our commitment to justice and peace, and to help one another remain vigilant, especially during this time of forgetfulness," Villarin said. —NB, GMA News