Norberto Gonzales: We will explain why people judged Marcoses in 1986

Presidential aspirant Norberto Gonzales on Wednesday made an impassioned plea against historical revisionism, saying that Filipinos must not allow the youth of the nation to be swayed by disinformation.

In a press conference, the former defense secretary said that he was dismayed by efforts to return the Marcoses to Malacañang. 

"Napakalungkot nito. Akala ko hinatulan na ng bayan ang umapi sa bayan natin. Hinatulan na yan, eh. Pero ngayon parang bumabalik," he said.

(This is disheartening. I thought the one who oppressed our nation has already been judged. They've already been judged. But it it seems they're coming back.)

Ferdinand Marcos was president from 1965 to 1986, when he was ousted by a people's revolution sparked by the assassination of Senator Ninoy Aquino, one of his top critics. Even before this, thousands of Filipinos were imprisoned and killed during the 21-year Marcos regime, particularly under Martial Law. Marcos and his family fled, along with billions in ill-gotten wealth that has still not been completely recovered.

Marcos' son, Bongbong, is currently running for the presidency.

"Kailangang tingnan nating mabuti. Huwag tayo papayag na lokohin ang mga  kabataan natin. Hindi tayo papayag na baguhin ang ating kasaysayan," Gonzales added.

(We have to look at this clearly. We cannot allow them to fool our youth. We cannot allow them to revise our history.)

He brought up Filipinos like himself who experienced Martial Law. "Malinaw ang isip ko. Nakita ko ang pangyayari at pang-aapi na ginawa ng dynasty ni Marcos. Hindi natin papayagan na lokohin tayo ulit," he declared.

(My mind is clear. I saw what happened and the oppression under the Marcos dynasty. We cannot allow them to fool us again.)

"Ang gusto ko sanang mangyari dito sa pagkampanya dito sa ating darating na halalan ay mga programa para sa bukas, pero binabalik tayo sa nakaraan, at sinisira pa ang katotohanan," he added.

(What I had hoped during this campaign was to talk about programs for the future, but they're trying to bring us back to the past, and destroying the truth while they're at it.)

This is why this year's election is particularly important, Gonzales stressed.

“Mas nagiging mahalaga ang election natin ngayon kasi parang ibabalik natin ang nakaraan. Ang nangyayari ngayon eh muli tayong babalik sa sambayanan at muli natin ipapaliwanag kung bakit noong 1986 hinusgahan ng taong bayan ang pamilyang Marcos,” he said.

(Our election is more important now because it looks like we will bring back the past. What is happening now is that we will return to the people and we will explain again why in 1986 the people made a judgment on the Marcos family.)

Gonzales appealed to the public to resist the attempts to revise the events that transpired during the Marcos dictatorship.

“Ang ginagawa nila ngayon medyo nakakadisturb ng kaunti kasi binabago ang kasaysayan, ipinapakita na ang nagkamali ay yung EDSA People Power of 1986, instead of what they have done or what their father has done,” he said.

(What they are doing now is disturbing because they are changing history, making it appear that what happened during the EDSA People Power of 1986 was wrong, instead of what they had done or what their father had done.)

Gonzales encouraged the youth not to forget the dark period in the country’s history and to fight the spread of fake information online.

“Ipakita natin ang katotohanan at aking hinihikayat ngayon yung mga aktibistang buhay pa: kumilos tayo, pasukin natin ang puso ng ating mga kabataan, sabihin natin sa kanila: huy magiingat kayo sa paniniwalaan ninyo sa kasalukuyan, eh kayo naman ang nakakaintindi ng fake news na ‘yan. Kayo ang mas nakakintindi niyan,” he said.

(Let's show the truth and I'm urging the activists who are still alive, let's encourage our youth, let's tell them, to be careful about what they believe or see on social media. The youth are the ones who understand fake news more, they should fight it.)

“Kailangan malaman ng ating kabataan ang tunay na kasaysayan ng bayan. Kung gusto natin umunlad, kung gusto natin bumuti at umayos ang kinabukasan natin, magsimula tayo sa katotohanan, Tama na ‘yang pagsisinungaling. Lalabanan natin yan,” he added.

(Our youth need to know the true history of our country. If we want to prosper, if we want our future to be better, let's start with the truth and stop the lies.)

The Marcos camp brushed off Gonzales' words, according to Sandra Aguinaldo’s “24 Oras” report on Wednesday.

“Some statements are better left ignored,” Marcos’ spokesperson, lawyer Vic Rodriguez said.

Gonzales, who also served as National Security Adviser under the Arroyo administration, will run under the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP).

He said he aims to change the "rotten" political system in the country, citing his almost decade-long stint in the government. — BM, GMA News