Atty. Neri Colmenares, former Bayan Muna Partylist representative. Senate PRIB file photo / Joseph Vidal
MANILA, Philippines — In line with the 50th year commemoration of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s declaration of martial law, Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares called the new generation “truth warriors” on Wednesday the fight against the manufactured lies of the Marcoses.
“Our new generation serves as our truth warriors in the fight against Marcos’ manufactured lies. Hindi man nila naabutan ang martial law, they chose to critically analyze events and ‘inconvenient truths’ of the past,” Colmenares said in a statement.
(Our new generation serves as the truth warriors in the fight against Marcos’ manufactured lies. Although they were not there during martial law, they chose to analyze past events and inconvenient truths of the past.)
“We will continue to be truth-tellers and we need more of our youth — the truth warriors to win the war against lies and injustice,” he added.
Colmenares drew inspiration from the victims of martial law who are still fighting to tell the dark truth of Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship.
The human rights lawyer, activist, and former senatorial candidate was a victim of martial law who was arrested and tortured at 18.
In an interview with INQUIRER.net, Colmenares recalled how he was made to confess that he’s part of the New People’s Army (NPA) through torture and threats.
“I was made to confess. Isulat ko raw na NPA ako. Hindi ako NPA… Tapos kapag hindi sila satisfied na hindi mo inamin, papakainin sa akin iyong papel na sinulatan ko,” Colmenares narrated.
(I was made to confess. I should write that I’m an NPA. I’m not an NPA. Then if they are not satisfied with your confession, they would make you eat the paper you wrote in.)
On the other hand, he also expressed his appreciation to younger generations for taking the courage to stand up for the truth and fight oppression.
“It is even heartening to note that despite the passage of time, more and more of the younger generations are taking up the cudgels and standing up for the truth, justice and democracy, while at the same time fiercely rejecting dictatorship, tyranny, fascism, and oppression,” he noted.
Colmenares further said, “it’s easy to create lies in the time of social media, but the experiences of martial law victims won’t be erased in history even if they try to distort it.”
“Sa panahon man noon ng Batas Militar, o sa panahon ngayon ng fake news at red-tagging, ang katotohanan ang ating palagiang liwanag. Facts are the basis of our truth and with it, we will never go astray,” he concluded.
(Even during the time of martial law, or in the present with fake news and red-tagging, the truth is always our light. Facts are the basis of our reality and with it, we will never go astray.) Christian Paul Dela Cruz, INQUIRER.net trainee