Palace to Marcos: No reconciliation without justice

By: Yuji Vincent Gonzales - 9 years ago

THIS PHOTO of police brutality on protesters is among those displayed in the exhibit, “Himagsik at Protesta,” put up by Karapatan at the University of the Philippines Library until Sept. 21 for the 40th anniversary of the declaration of martial rule. PHOTO REPRODUCTION BY TONETTE OREJAS

“There can be no reconciliation without justice.”

This was what Malacañang reiterated on Thursday in response to Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s statement that President Benigno Aquino III should “move on” and put the past behind in connection with the Martial Law.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said that “moving on” will not bring justice to the victims of human rights violations committed during the dictatorship of the senator’s late father and namesake.

“President Aquino has said time and again that there can be no reconciliation without justice. While it may be easy to say ‘just move on’, we believe that in so doing, we will not be doing justice to the thousands of families whose members suffered violence during the dictatorship,” Coloma told reporters in a press briefing.

The heated exchange between the administration and the younger Marcos started when Aquino said that the Marcos children should apologize for the dictatorship’s transgressions against Filipinos, noting that he is confident that there will be no “resurgence of support” for a Marcos comeback to Malacañang.

Marcos, who is gunning for the vice presidency in the 2016 elections, said being elected to office indicated that Filipinos have already vindicated his family. He also emphasized earlier pronouncements that they have nothing to apologize for.

READ: Aquino: Marcos children should apologize to Filipinos | Aquino doesn’t see another Marcos in Malacañang | Marcos to Aquino: Move on, we’ve been vindicated by Filipino vote

Echoing Aquino, Coloma said Filipino voters, particularly young people who were born after the Martial Law, should be further educated on the “values of freedom and democracy.”

“As noted by the President, the government has in effect offered an apology by creating a Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board to redress their grievances. As reported by the board, more than 75,000 claims have been received. Evidently, the claimants are not accepting the view that election means vindication,” Coloma said.

“Moreover, the President also believes that it is important to educate the Filipino youth who were born after the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution on the importance of the values of freedom and democracy,” he added.