The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has condemned “the distortion or the truth of history,” reminding Filipinos of the “injustice and cruelty” of Martial Law.
Releasing a pastoral letter on the 36th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution that toppled Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, the CBCP called on the people to defend the truth, especially during the forthcoming election, in which Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is running for president.
In the letter, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, the CBCP president, said distortion of historical truths “poisons our collective consciousness” and “destroys the moral foundation of our institutions.”
“Let us stand up for truth [because] an election or any process that is not based on truth is but a deception and cannot be trusted,” David said.
“Disrespect for truth is disrespect for freedom,” he said. “When we disregard truth, we disregard our obligation to be accountable.”
David also condemned the rampant disinformation regarding the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, which he said led to a “pandemic of lies” on social media.
“We wish to warn you of the radical distortions in the history of Martial Law and the EDSA People Power Revolution. [Let] us examine ourselves. Perhaps we, too, sow the virus of lies, which spreads wildly and numbs our consciences,” David said.
“The peaceful revolution was not an invention of one person, one party, or one color. It was a triumph of the entire Filipino People,” he added.
David also reminded Filipinos that in voting, the common good should be the “foremost concern.”
In a virtual presser following the release of the letter, David said the letter was issued because “we don’t want the dark age of Martial Law repeated.”
“We have been involved in politics because we are citizens of this country. Our involvement as CBCP is based on moral guidance…ang pinaninindigan lang natin dito ay katotohanan,” he said.
“In the age of social media, nababaluktot ang katotohanan. Ayaw namin mangyari na our people are deceived,” he added.
David also warned against the dangers of disinformation, citing the story of Jesus and Barabbas.
“People favored Barabbas because may mga pwersa na bulung-bulong lang that were able to influence the people to choose Barabbas, we do not want that to happen,” David said. Allyssa Mae C. Cruz
