ANTI-MARCOS groups held protests against vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. at last Sunday’s PiliPinas 2016 Vice Presidential debate.
Before the debate began at 5pm, members of the group Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacañang (CARMMA) staged a lightning rally outside Gate 2 of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), the debate’s host institution.
Bearing banners with the slogan “Isoli Mo, Ninakaw Mo (Return what you stole)!” protesters faced supporters of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ son and namesake.
Marcos loyalists tried to drown out the speakers by chanting “Marcos pa rin (Marcos, still)!” Police cordoned off the crowd to prevent physical incidents from happening.
‘Wala pa silang alam’
Sita Alvares, one of the Marcos supporters present during the confrontation, said that the rallyists were lying about Martial Law.
“Bata pa sila, wala pa silang alam. Bakit nasasabi nila na nagnakaw ang Marcos (They are only kids, how can they say that the Marcoses stole money)?” she said.
Wearing a red shirt bearing the senator’s name, Alvares was among the hundreds of people who were unable to enter the debate venue. Access wristbands were only limited and ran out earlier in the day, and many were told to go home.
Hecklers
Meanwhile, inside the debate venue at the Quadricentennial Hall, a contingent from the Youth Alliance Against the Return of the Marcoses (Youth ALARM) heckled Marcos as he gave his opening statement.
“Never again, never again to Martial Law!,” they chanted.
Moderator Pinky Webb clarified that the debate rules banned any form of heckling on the debate floor. The five hecklers were escorted out of the venue by UST’s security detail.
Lloyd Magsoy, Youth ALARM spokesperson, told reporters that with the return of the Marcoses to power, they feared the return of Martial Law once again.
“Napakaraming kasalanan ang mga Marcoses na ‘to, kaya dapat hindi na sila makatungtong muli sa puwesto sa ating gobyerno (The Marcoses have committed grave injustices to us; we should make sure that they do not rise in government again),” he said.
According to the police, the protesters were to be taken to the UST security detail for identification and then transferred to the main assignment of the Manila Police District for further questioning.
Efforts to intensify
CARMMA convenor Bonifacio Ilagan said the group will increase its efforts as elections draw near.
“Palagay ko, magiging mas matindi habang lumalapit ang eleksyon sa aming pakikipaglaban para ilantad at pigilin ang kandidatura ni Bongbong (I believe that as elections near, our efforts will intensify to bare and stop the candidacy of Bongbong [Marcos]),” he said.
Yesterday, a Social Weather Stations poll showed Marcos leading the vice presidential race at 26%, 5 points above his closest competitor, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
Ilagan noted that since CARMMA’s establishment on February 4, several institutions have released statements calling out Sen. Marcos’ historical revisionism.
For one, more than 500 members of the Ateneo community released a stand on March 7. It condemned “the revision of history, disturbing vision of the future, and shallow call for ‘unity’ being presented by Marcos Jr. and like-minded candidates in the 2016 elections.”
Ilagan also belied the claim of Marcos supporters that the younger Marcos had no role in government during his father’s rule. Marcos was appointed by his father as special assistant to the president and chairman of the Philippine Communications Satellite Corporation, Ilagan said.
Ilagan also pointed out that Marcos was the executor of the family estate.
“Ang Marcos estate ang repository ng lahat ng ill-gotten wealth. Siya ang pangunahing pumipirma para makapag-withdraw. (The Marcos estate is the repository of all ill-gotten wealth. He is the primary signatory so that they can withdraw.)”
At the debate, Marcos was asked if he will return his family’s ill-gotten wealth. To this, he replied, “I cannot give what I do not have.”
