Catholic educators: Marcos a ‘fake’ hero and worse

MANILA, Philippines—Are our congressmen history illiterate?

As the country observed Araw ng Kagitingan on Saturday, Catholic educators urged lawmakers who signed a resolution calling for the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos an the Libingan ng mga Bayani to withdraw their signatures, pointing out that claims that he was a World War II hero were a “total fabrication.”

In a strongly worded statement, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) warned the country’s schools to remain vigilant against this attempt to rewrite history, noting that it was Marcos’ corrupt dictatorial regime that turned the Philippines into the “sick man” of Asia.

The group added that burying him at the Libingan would “desecrate” the People Power Revolution that ousted Marcos in 1986 and made Filipinos famous around the world for peaceful regime change.

“Was Marcos really a ‘well-decorated soldier’? He may have been a war veteran just like many Filipinos of his generation. But a hero certainly he was not,” CEAP said.

“As we celebrate Araw ng Kagitingan to commemorate the heroism of those who fought fascism during World War II, let us not make a mockery of the service and sacrifice of Filipino war veterans by giving a hero’s burial to someone who is not only a fake war hero, but was also responsible for undermining democracy and development during his long tenure as an authoritarian ruler,” it added.

The group pointed out that the “elaborate tale” of the “Maharlika guerilla unit” that Marcos supposedly led during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines was “definitively exposed… as a total fabrication” by American historian Alfred McCoy in a well-researched study 25 years ago.

“(McCoy) revealed that official US military investigations into the ‘Maharlika’ story soon after World War II already dismissed this claim as a fraud,” CEAP said.

“Why should we now give the perpetrator of this lie a hero’s burial?” it added.

CEAP said Marcos was indeed the country’s longest-serving President but this was because “he declared martial law, used military repression to silence opponents, destroyed what was then an imperfect but working democratic system and perpetuated himself in power through an authoritarian constitution that was never legitimately ratified.”

“How can his supporters claim that Marcos `built the modern foundations of the Philippines’ when he presided over the country’s near economic collapse under the burden of behest loans and corrupt practices which to this day our nation has not fully recovered from?” CEAP said.

“Have Marcos, his family and cronies been made fully accountable for the serious charges of plunder—the amassing of ill-gotten wealth that sank the Philippines, while our Asian neighbors took off economically during his tenure?” it added.

CEAP said the Libingan ng mg Bayani “is hallowed ground meant for true heroes,” and Mrcos does not belong there.

“Did Marcos really ‘serve’ the country? Was he truly until his death a ‘patriot’? While we cannot divine and judge his personal motives, the terrible suffering and damage wrought by Marcos’ 14 years of authoritarian rule is undeniable,” the group said.

“The recent compensation given to the many victims of martial law, though symbolic in monetary terms, is damning proof that the Marcos regime was guilty of gross human rights violations,” it said. “Is this the sort of person we want to see interred among genuine servant leaders and patriots?”

CEAP urged the lawmakers who signed the resolution calling for Marcos’ burial at the Libingan to “seriously consider” withdrawing their signatures.

“We urge you to understand the true meaning of service, patriotism, and heroism. We challenge you to rise to the challenge of statesmanship and not be swayed by facile political collegiality and false notions of ‘reconciliation’ and ‘solidarity,’” it said.

It also urged Filipinos, particularly those who suffered under Martial Law, to speak out against the proposal and show that the public finds it “utterly repulsive and demeaning.”

“We call on our schools to be ever vigilant against those who seek to revise and reinterpret history to suit their selfish interests and agenda. The teaching of Philippine history should precisely be strengthened to enable our people, especially our youth, to separate truth from falsehood,” CEAP said.

“The House signatories claim that the Marcos burial is meant as a ‘magnanimous act of reconciliation which will strengthen the bonds of solidarity among the Filipino people.’ But let us remember the words of St. Augustine: ‘Charity is no substitute for justice withheld.’ Let justice be the tie that binds us as a nation,” the group added.