Imee Marcos: Good for UP to teach martial law, but get our viewpoint too

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Imee Marcos said Wednesday it is good for the University of the Philippines (UP) to teach martial law to its students, but appealed that her family also be given a chance to share their side of the story about the era.

“I think maganda din na pinag-aaralan. At least sana bigyan na lang din kami ng pagkakataon na sabihin din kung anong nangyari sa pagkaalam namin. ‘Yun lang naman ang importante doon, na may viewpoints ng bawat isa at marinig ang bawat isa,” she told Senate reporters in a chance interview.

(I think it’s good for it to be studied. But at least we should be given a chance to narrate what happened during martial law according to our knowledge. It’s important that the viewpoints of everyone are heard.)

UP Diliman Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Evageline Amor earlier said a subject on martial law will be offered as a general subject at UP Diliman starting January 2020. The subject will be called “Philippine Studies 21: Wika, Panitikan, at Kultura sa Ilalim ng Batas Militar.”

READ: UP Diliman to teach martial law subject? ‘That’s good’ – Palace

For Marcos, UP has the academic freedom and the right to teach martial law, but explained there is a tendency for this freedom to be confined to ideas from a certain group.

“Ang problema kasi, ang academic freedom kung minsan, freedom lang para sa isang pangkat, wala namang freedom sa iba (The problem is academic freedom is sometimes confined to a certain group but is not extended to others),” she said.

She then blamed the silence of her family in telling their side of the story on alleged human rights violations when martial law was declared by her father, former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972.

“Ako naman tinitiis ko rin. ‘Yung iba, makinig din naman sana. Actually sa tingin ko, kasalanan na rin ng pamilya namin, kasi naging tameme na rin kami, tinamad na kaming magsalita. Hindi na namin binabahagi ‘yung alam namin. Hindi na rin kami nakikikwento kasi parang nakakapagod na eh,” she said.

(I am trying to endure it. I hope others will also listen. Actually, I think it’s also the fault of our family because we were quiet and became tired to speak. We no longer share what we know. We no longer tell our story because it already became tiresome.)

“Kulang kami dyan eh. Talagang hindi kami nagsulat, hindi kami nagpa-interview, bitin talaga sa pagtatanggol ng sarili kumbaga (We lacked in that area. We did not write about it or allowed ourselves to be interviewed. We fell short in defending ourselves),” she added.

“What we have is personal knowledge, the experience and the truth that we own,” Marcos further explained, adding that she believes the UP will be fair in teaching martial law to its students. /je