“Marcos, Diktador, Hindi Bayani!”
THESE WERE the words chanted by several Ateneans as they walked out of their classes earlier today at 12 NN to express indignation over the burial of Former President Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LMNB).
Union of Students for the Advancement of Demoracy Premier Lanz Espacio and Sanggunian President Carmela Vinzon made the call to the Loyola Schools (LS) community following confirmation that the burial of Marcos was today.
According to Espacio, Marcos’s burial at the LMNB occurred at exactly 11:45 AM. The late dictator was given full military honors by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during his interment.
The details of the burial earlier were not disclosed to the public until earlier this morning when National Capital Region Police Officer Oscar Albayalde confirmed that the late dictator’s remains were being transported from Batac, Ilocos Norte to Manila via chopper. CNN Philippines reported that the members of the AFP allegedly thought that the activities prior to the burial were a “rehearsal.”
Espacio called on students, faculty, and non-teaching staff of the LS community to join together to show the community’s continued opposition to the crimes of the Marcoses. “Alalahanin na ang mga ginawa ni Marcos ay hindi kabayanihan (The acts of Marcos do not constitute heroism).”
He led the group of protesters from the lobby of the Manuel V. Panglinan Center for Student Leadership to Gate 2.5, where Atenean protesters denounced the injustice of Marcos’s burial.
City-wide protests
The mobilization of Ateneans along Katipunan Avenue coincided with several other protests staged throughout the metropolitan.
There were simultaneous rallies along Ayala Boulevard, Taft Avenue, Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, Aurora Boulevard, Mariana Park the Philippine Coconut Authority, and Luneta Park staged at 12 NN to express indignation over the burial.
The mobilization efforts were supposed to converge at the People Power Monument, the site that commemorates the ouster of Marcos in 1986.
From 12 NN until 3 PM, several Ateneans filled the sidewalk of the northbound lane of Katipunan Avenue in protest. They cried out “Marcos, diktador, hindi bayani!” They also urged motorists to honk their horns as a sign to seek out justice as they chanted “Busina, busina, para sa hustisya!”
At 3:30 PM, the protesters from the university proceeded to Miriam College, where there were joined by anti-Marcos movements from Miriam and the University of the Philippines Diliman.
As of press time, the joint protests are currently moving to the People Power Monument. Espacio and Vinzon have each taken their turns at inspiring the protesters present at the protest in front of Miriam College.
Indignation
Protesters expressed indignation over Marcos’s burial earlier at the LMNB.
At Gate 2.5, several Ateneans screamed “Fuck you, Marcos!”, “Marcos duwag!”, and “Magnanakaw!” to denounce the late dictator.
Office of Social Concern and Involvement Director Leland Dela Cruz called the burial done earlier as “absolutely disgusting,” citing that the Supreme Court “has not even ruled the finality of the matter.”
Creative writing senior Paolo Villanueva, whose grandfather’s remains rest at the LMNB, also claimed that the burial was “disgusting,” adding that that it was “a disgrace to those buried [in the LMNB].”
For History Department Professor Jose Tirol, the burial today was “nothing more than a betrayal.” He added that the burial of Marcos at the LMNB “shows no respect at all for our history for our current generation and the future generations.”
Tirol blasted the Duterte administration, which allowed Marcos’s burial at the LMNB. “What does this [burial] say about what this government stands for?” he asked.
Martial law victims
At the road leading to LMNB, protesters wrote the names of the victims of Martial Law in red paint to commemorate the lives lost during the period.
Meanwhile, along Katipunan Avenue, several Ateneans held up pictures of the likes of Archimedes Trajano, Edgar Jopson, and other victims of the Martial Law era.
Marcos declared Martial Law on September 23, 1972.
On August 13, the Samahan ng mga ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto announced that it would be filing a temporary restraining order to the Supreme Court, arguing that Marcos’s burial at the LMNB would be a “grave injustice” to the Martial Law victims. On November 11, the Supreme Court released its decision that allowed the burial of Marcos, junking the complaint filed by the petitioners.
While the victims of Martial Law denounce the injustice perpetuated by the Marcos regime, pro-Marcos camps claim that the late dictator should be forgiven by the people.
For Marcos loyalist Henry Balonso, if Filipinos are indeed Christians, they should learn to “move on.” Meanwhile, Rodolfo Melgar, who drove Marcos to his final resting place, says that people should learn to forgive Marcos.
Fight not over
Prior to leading the march of the Atenean contingency to Katipunan Avenue, Espacio emphasized the need for unity in times like this.
He mentioned that the nation is calling on the youth not to allow these kinds of acts by expressing indignation in peaceful protest.
Espacio added that today’s demonstration’s are simply the start of the community’s continued struggle for justice.
“Ang paglilibing ay simula pa lang sa paglaban, hindi langlaban sa mga Marcos, ngunit sa lahat ng kinakatawan nila,” Espacio said.
(Today’s burial marks only the start of our struggle, not just against the Marcoses, but everything they stand for.)
