“KILOS, KABATAAN!”
A second mobilization against the decision of the Supreme Court regarding their decision to allow former president Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani took place at the Zen Garden on November 11.
Nine out of the 14 justices of the Supreme Court voted in favor of Marcos’ burial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani on November 8. The same day the decision was released, members of the Atenean community mobilized to Gate 2.5 in protest.
The November 11 gathering “Kilos, Kabataan! Atenista, lumaban!” was lead by the Sanggunian, as well as the Union of Students for the Advancement of Democracy (USAD), as a follow-up to the November 8 mobilization.
The gathering aimed to provide an avenue for students to discuss the national situation with their fellow Ateneans, and to possibly create further steps to respond to it.
“We want to not just create the steps we have to take, but to create a community for everything that matters,” said Sanggunian President Carmela Vinzon in her opening remarks.
Organizational statements
One by one, USAD Premier Lanz Espacio called on various organizations in the Ateneo to speak about their views on the issue, and any other words they wished to impart in front of the gathered community.
“Bago tayo naging Atenista, Filipino muna tayo (Before we became Ateneans, we were Filipino first),” said the representative from Baybayin.
“May mga ilan sa amin sa Baybayin, nagpaskil sila na ang ibang nagtatrabaho sa mga convenience stores, o mga nandoon sa Citizens’ Assembly na mga nagbebenta ng kapote, ay nagtatanong ‘Para saan ba ‘yang laban niyo?’ Kailangan natin ipaalala sa kanila, na ang paghihirap na dinadanas nila ngayon, kung bakit hindi sila nakakakain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw ay maaari pa ring nakakabit sa diktatura. Maaaring iyon pa rin ang dahilan kung bakit sila nandito sa isang estruktura na walang hustisya,” he added.
(Some of us from Baybayin have noticed that some of those who work in convenience stores, or raincoat vendors in the Citizens’ Assembly, ask ‘What are you fighting for?’ We need to remind them that the hardships that they experience now, such how some cannot earn enough to have three meals a day, may still be connected to the dictatorship. This may be the very reason why they are in a system that is free of justice.)
“We see [the burial] not as an act of reconciliation that would mend our country, but as a validation and a celebration of the abuses done during the Martial Law. There can be no reconciliation without serving justice. We must always remember that the privileges of the law ought to speak for its people. Marcos, Sr. was no hero, and any attempt to honor him as such an atrocity towards all those who suffered under his iron rule,” said the representative from IgnITE.
“Marcos’ burial is a blatant insult to Filipino heroes. It is a slap in the face to those who continue to live in damage,” said a representative from Ateneans with Amnesty International.
“Patuloy tayo manindigan na hindi umiral ang dilim. Nagsisimula ito sa pagkakamali, at doon susunod ang pagbabago (Let us keep fighting so that darkness will not take over. [The darkness] begins from mistakes, but change will always follow),” said the representative from Baliklaya.
“After so many years, nandoon pa rin ang memory. At kailangan gunitain natin ang memory na ‘yon. Bakit? Ginagawa natin hindi lang para sa past generation, para sa current rin. Kasi, kung titingnan niyo ang paligid ngayon, kaliwa’t kanan may namamatay (After so many years, the memories [of the victimized families] still exist. And we need to keep these memories alive. Why? We are doing this not just for the past generation, but for the current one as well. If we look at our surroundings now, left and right, there are people dying),” said the ENTABLADO representative.
“Kaya, nanawagan ang Ateneo ENTABLADO na ‘yong apoy ng pakikibaka natin, at ‘yong reliving natin ay hindi mamatay. ‘Yong mga taong patay na ay hindi na makakagalaw. Kailangan nila ng mga taong gagalaw for them. ‘Wag nating susukuan ito kahit na tapos na ang desisyon (The Ateneo ENTABLADO is calling to keep the flame of our fight and reliving alive. The people who died cannot act anymore. They need people who can act for them. We must not give up, even if [the SC’s] decision has been made),” she added.
Voices from the crowd
After the organizational representatives gave their statements, the crowd was asked to split themselves into smaller groups and discuss further their views, as well as possible steps the Atenean community must now take.
“What we discussed earlier revolved around the discrepancy in dealing with people who don’t have the same point of view as we do. One of the points that came out is to listen as much as possible, knowing that these [points] of views, no matter how different, are still very much valid,” said development studies junior Ia Marañon.
“They come from stories. In as much as we want them to listen to us, we must first listen to them. That whatever we demand from them, [they] do also,” she added.
“I feel like the decision should urge us to extend our hand to the Others, and not polarize us further,” said political science junior Lance Bañez.
Political science junior Dave Araquel said his group noticed an “instant gratification” wherein heroes are easily viewed as figures of action, rather than having their morals be taken into consideration.
Matanglawin Editor-in-Chief Rambo Talabong said that action towards the decision should be more like the November 8 mobilization, instead of superficial methods of protest on social media.
“We need to mobilize and unite as a community. Change of profile pictures during Sunday nights won’t suffice this time. We need to go out of the usual outlets and express dismay and be united in doing so. We saw this happening last Tuesday. We need to do more,” he said.
Editor’s Note: The representative for Amnesty International should have been for Ateneans with Amnesty International. We apologize for this oversight.
