Fifty-two years after the declaration of Martial Law in the country, the Mindanawon Anthropological Society of the Ateneo (MASA) sought to safeguard historical awareness among students by looking back on the human rights violations during Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s regime and drawing parallels to the country’s current political landscape.
MASA Secretary General Gwyneth May Rosete explained that the event aimed to educate the youth on the importance of history and how a distant past can affect contemporary Filipinos.“I think it’s important for this event to reemerge because when we think of history, we think of it as something that’s isolated… just because it happened before doesn’t mean it’s no longer happening now,” Rosete said.
Rosete also expressed that despite the efforts of the People Power Revolution, the current political mechanism governed by the elites allowed the return of the Marcoses to power.
“We see that within a generation that’s pointed out, within this very generation, [a] Marcos returned [to power] around 36 years later. In that sense, whatever happened during, we didn’t do enough to oust the people in power.”
Human rights activist and member of AdDU’s Board of Trustees Maria Victoria “Mags” Maglana underscored the role of activists in the Davao region that ultimately led to the People Power Revolution.
“In early 1984, the first welgang bayan was held in Davao City. Sa Mindanao, partikular na sa Davao, nagsimula ang people strikes… At pag sinabing people strikes, pati transport sarado rin… dahil ang buong bayan ay nagwewelga,” Maglana said.
Maglana pointed out that their time had already ended, and it’s the role of the youth to keep remembering and preserving the history of martial law and to fight for democracy.
“People struggled with connecting to martial law because that’s 52 years ago… paano ninyo kakausapin ang inyong kapwa, paano kayo mag-uusap at magkakasundo sa mga bagay na mahalaga sa inyo at mga bagay nais niyong ipaabot sa iba … this is your show, this is you doing these things,” Maglana added.
AdDU Publication Office Director Macario Tiu exposed the realities of Martial Law that it was never intended to suppress insurgents but rather for their own monetary gain.
“What is the endpoint of our batas militar… what is happening, [and] what happened before was nag-away na ang mga elite as to who could get the biggest pie,” Tiu said.
The forum also served as a fundraiser for the refugees in Gaza amid the genocide in Palestine, a cause that Rosete explained was rooted in the countries’ shared struggles as colonies of imperialism.
“We have gone through colonialization. It’s similar in the sense that what the people in Gaza are facing now is what we faced before.”
Rosete urged Filipinos and students to unite in solidarity with the Palestinians and shed light on what is happening in their country.
“It’s important for us to have that shared unity because we can’t just be the only ones helping. The reason why there’s an ongoing genocide in Palestine is because it’s systematic… we should unite, not just as students, but also people from outside Ateneo as well.”
The Lights, Discussion, Action: Boses ng Nakaraan, Buhay sa Kasalukuyan forum was held at Conference Room E, CCFC Ricci Hall, Ateneo de Davao University, September 20.