Universities mark 49th anniversary of Martial Law; urge public to never forget

Several Philippine universities on Tuesday marked the 49th anniversary of Martial law under the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

In a statement, the Ateneo De Manila University urged the public to remember the “most painful chapters in our nation’s history,” saying that some are working hard to revise history.

The book "Dark Legacy: Human Rights Under the Marcos Regime" by Alfred McCoy and reports by Amnesty International recorded 3,200 victims of extrajudicial killings, 77,000 political detentions, 3,500 torture victims, and more than 700 disappearances from 1975 to 1985

“Martial Law is a period in the story of the Filipino nation that is too critical, too important to be forgotten. But for the past few decades the memories of that period have been slowly receding in our rear-view mirror,” it said.

“The main actors are now back in the spotlight, working hard to blatantly revise history… and we, as a nation, have apparently been experiencing historical amnesia, and have failed to truly take stock and reckon with its lesson,” it added.

Ateneo said the challenge for educational institutions was to make sure that the Filipino people will not forget about martial law.

“The Ateneo Martial Law Museum is at the heart of Ateneo de Manila’s efforts of educating our fellow Filipinos about this crucial part of our nation’s history,” it said.

“Since 2017 it has been an important learning resource about democracy, human rights, and freedom, as we aim to preserve our collective memory, fight historical revisionism, and promote engaged citizenship especially among the youth,” it added.

According to the university, the matter was particularly important amid the upcoming elections.

The University said it would, along with historians, educators, and institutional partners, strive to keep the memory alive.

“We owe it to those who sacrificed their lives, those who fought the darkness so that we may live freely. We owe it to the succeeding generations of Filipinos, so that they may never ever experience it,” it said.

Meanwhile, the University of Santo Tomas posted a photo on Facebook that read “our forgetfulness is their license” with the tag #NeverAgain.

“Let us always respect the sanctity of life and uphold the truth,” it said.

— DVM, GMA News