Nov. 15 2016, 4:41 p.m. – THE UST Central Student Council has expressed dismay over the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the burial of the remains of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, saying the former president should not be honored as a hero.
In a statement on its Facebook page on Nov. 15, the CSC said it was “deeply saddened” by the Supreme Court ruling, as it urged Thomasians to look back at the atrocities committed during Martial Law.
“We appraise (sic) the judiciary’s effort to abide by the technical aspects of law; however, we cannot deny nor can we neglect the atrocities that have occurred throughout his (Marcos’) administration, especially during Martial Law [when] countless Filipinos had their rights robbed, their dignity trampled and their humanity invalidated, ” the statement read.
The CSC said the decision would “strip” the identity of Filipinos and alter the history of the country, adding that to “forget and move on” would disregard the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, the peaceful uprising and civil resistance that led to Marcos’ ouster in 1986.
“The wounds that were inflicted during those times may have healed, but the scars that destroyed the Filipino spirit will perpetually haunt every individual and the whole nation. [M]arcos is not a hero and therefore he should not be honored as one,” the statement said.
The Supreme Court, in a 9-5 decision last Nov. 8, allowed a hero’s burial for Marcos, whose dictatorship led to killings and widespread violation of human rights. Mia Arra C. Camacho
