FILE PHOTO Yellow confetti showers as Filipinos gather at the Edsa Shrine to commemorate the 26th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution that led to the fall of the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. EDWIN BACASMAS/INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robin Padilla on Monday urged the public to hear the full historical narrative of the Marcos family and resist the temptation to settle for the popular version of what is now part of Philippine history.
In an interview with reporters, Padilla claimed history consists of two narratives — that of the powerful and that of the defeated party. In particular, he said the Aquinos wrote the popular narrative and the Marcoses the other.
“Katulad ngayon, siyempre ngayon natin nakikita ‘yan, sa matagal na panahon narrative ng after People Power ang naririnig natin. So ngayon, maririnig naman natin ang narrative ng Marcos. So, hindi natin pwedeng sabihing tsismis ito kasi ito ‘yung narrative ng Aquino, iba sa narrative ng Marcos,” he said, referring to the Edsa People Power uprising that toppled the more than 20-year regime of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, father of incumbent president and namesake, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
(We see now, for the longest time, we are hearing the narrative of the People Power. So now, we are going to hear the narrative of the Marcoses. So, we cannot say that that is just gossip because the narratives of the Aquinos and the Marcoses are different.)
People took to the streets after democracy icon Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. was killed, and the 1986 snap elections were allegedly rigged, forcing the Marcoses to flee.
Aquino’s widow, Corazon, became President after the people’s revolt and their son, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, was also elected president 24 years later.
READ: Edsa People Power after 36 years: Who played key roles?
But Padilla, who was among the senatorial candidates fielded by Marcos Jr. in the 2022 elections, said history may not be complete without the narrative of the Marcoses, thus their story must be heard, too. Upon hearing both sides, the senator said the people should be allowed to decide which narrative they would like to believe in.
“Ang dapat, tayong mga Pilipino parehas nating pakinggan at tayo ang humusga kung sino ang palagay natin — hindi ‘yung kung sino ang tama — kung ano ‘yung totoo,” he said.
(We, Filipinos, should listen and judge on what we think — not what is right — is the truth.)
“Kasi sasabihin ng isa siya ang tama, sasabihin ng isa, ‘ako ang tama.’ Hindi, alamin natin kung ano ang totoong naratibo, totoo sa palagay natin kasi ang totoo marami ring mukha,” he added.
(Because one will say that s/he is telling the right one, the other will say, “I’m correct.” Let us know the real narrative, real in our perception because the truth has many faces.)
Padilla, however, did not say which narrative of the Marcoses the people should know about.
The issue on historical narratives came about when Padilla was asked if he agreed with the assertion of fellow actor Ella Cruz that “history is like chismis (rumor)”.
Cruz’s controversial statement was made as promotion for an upcoming film about the Marcoses, in which she starred as Irene Marcos, was being made, adding that history was filtered to benefit the victors of politics.
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