Satur Ocampo, PNU’s The Torch editor in chief John Timothy Romero, Edith Burgos and Neri Colmenares at the press conference for the Black Friday protest against Marcos’ burial at Libingan ng mga Bayani. Photo by Kristine Sabillo/INQUIRER.net
Martial law victims and students will be leading the Luneta rally on Friday to protest the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery).
During a press conference at the St. Scholastica’s Archive Museum, the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacañang (CARMMA) urged the public to join the protests and oppose the “revision of history.”
John Timothy Romero, editor in chief of the Philippine Normal University’s The Torch, said, “We don’t need to live during the martial law to say that it is wrong. We have our history to base from.”
Former congressman Satur Ocampo, who was a torture victim and political detainee during martial law, said the nation and the current administration should not allow the Marcoses to return to power.
Ocampo was among those who filed a contempt case against the Marcos family and security officials who made the surprise burial of the late president possible on November 18.
Mae Paner (also known as Juana Change) said the people know the truth about the Marcoses, who have been accused of corruption and having ill-gotten wealth.
“Sino ba namang hero ang inilibing ng patago (Did we ever have a hero that was buried in such a clandestine way)?” she said.
Edith Burgos, wife of press freedom icon Joe Burgos, said Filipinos should “honor the memory” of martial law heroes by participating in the protests. She reminded people to wear black to show solidarity to the cause.
Former congressman Erin Tañada also expressed support in behalf of his family. He said he represents the third generation of the Tañadas who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.
Nationwide protests
Neri Colmenares, former congressman and one of the youngest political detainees during martial law, said there will be nationwide protests on Friday, the biggest one in Luneta at 4 p.m.
READ: Pinoys urged to join ‘Black Friday’ protest vs Marcos burial
Protests will also be held in Los Baños, Calamba, Isabela, Tarlac, Tuguegarao, Lucena City, Batangas, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao and General Santos.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes said school assemblies and local assemblies, in addition to teach-ins and talks, will be held in the afternoon before participants proceed to meet-up points at the Philippine General Hospital and Liwasang Bonifacio.
He said they will secure permit for the rally today. The permit should allow them to stay at the venue from 4 to 10 p.m. on Friday.
Also present at the press briefing were the chairperson of the University of the Philippines (UP) – Diliman student council and the chairperson of the UP Medicine student council.
Colmenares said the opponents of the burial will still file a motion for reconsideration on the Supreme Court decision allowing the burial. However, he said that they will continue the protests since during the time of martial law it was through people and not the courts that the Marcoses were defeated.
“Whether we win or lose at the Supreme Court, ang pagtutol ng taong bayan ngayon ang pag-asa natin para hindi malibing ang katotohanan at kasaysayan (the protests of the people are our hope to ensure that the truth and history would not be buried),” he said. CDG
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