‘The people have not forgotten’: Mass protests set on Marcos birthday

ANTI-MARCOS Militants protesting the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani are blocked by layers of police personnel near the Supreme Court as they wait for its ruling on the case.—LYN RILLON/FILE PHOTO

Militant groups will stage mass protests on Monday to mark Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s 100th birth anniversary and to condemn President Rodrigo Duterte’s “political rehabilitation” of the late dictator.

To show that “the people have not forgotten” and that “the people will continue to fight for justice,” Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said various groups will gather outside the Libingan ng mga Bayani on Monday.

Citing Marcos’ alleged contribution to “national development” as a World War 2 veteran, legislator and former president, Duterte earlier declared September 11 a special holiday in Marcos’ stronghold, Ilocos Norte.

READ: Duterte declares Ferdinand Marcos’ birthday a holiday in Ilocos 

“After giving Marcos a hero’s burial last year, Duterte saw it fit to declare September 11, the dictator’s birthday, a special holiday in Marcos’ home province of Ilocos Norte,” Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes said in a statement on Sunday.

The President’s proclamation, Reyes said, conveniently whitewashes Marcos’ record of plunder and human rights violations when the latter declared martial law in 1972.

“Duterte’s presidential proclamation conveniently whitewashes Marcos’ record of plunder and gross human rights violations,” said Reyes.

“Duterte has also offered a compromise deal with the Marcoses which includes legal immunity,” he added.

Bayan believes that the acts of Duterte, a known friend of the Marcos family, would aid the return of the Marcoses to Malacañang.

“If we allow these acts of Duterte to remain unchallenged, then it would only be a matter of time before the Marcos family will return to Malacañang,” the group said. je