Pro-democracy protesters in the Philippines yesterday marked the anniversary of the 1986 army-backed “people power” revolt with the son of the dictator ousted in that uprising now leading the country.
About 1,400 demonstrators, some waving Philippine flags and holding placards that read: “Never forget,” gathered at a democracy shrine along the main Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in metropolitan Manila.
Leftist activists, carrying an effigy that depicted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as a pest, protested separately at a nearby pro-democracy monument.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Faced with the awkward situation of issuing a statement to mark the revolt that toppled his namesake father, Marcos Jr called for reconciliation without citing the event as a democratic milestone, as his predecessors had done.
“I once again offer my hand of reconciliation to those with different political persuasions to come together as one in forging a better society — one that will pursue progress and peace and a better life for all Filipinos,” he wrote in a two-paragraph statement posted on Facebook.
Renato Reyes of the leftist alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the president’s offer was a “good sound bite, but lacks sincerity and substance” given Marcos Jr’s refusal to acknowledge abuses under his father’s rule.
Photo: Reuters
Millions of Filipinos in February 1986 converged at the highway to shield top military and defense officials who defected from Marcos’ administration. The ailing president, who imposed martial rule from 1972 to 1981, was driven with his family and cronies into US exile.
The uprising became a harbinger of change in authoritarian regimes, but in the nearly four decades since then, poverty, stark inequality between the rich and poor and a failure to address past wrongdoings have remained deeply entrenched, fanning political and social divisions.
The Marcoses returned to the Philippines in 1991 and gradually regained political power.
In May last year, Marcos Jr won the presidential race in a landslide victory in one of history’s most dramatic reversal of fortunes.
“It’s mind-blowing in one sense, isn’t it? How did this happen? You remember those who sacrificed their lives and you feel so sad for those who were tortured, those who lost loved ones,” said Judy Taguiwalo, a longtime former political detainee and torture survivor.
Now 73 and ailing, Taguiwalo said her generation of activists who fought the dictatorship was slowly fading, but she remained defiant.
“There’s a new generation of fighters,” she said. “Tyranny can return, but there’s no forever in tyranny so long as we don’t stop resisting, even if it’s an uphill battle or we get sidetracked by disinformation.”
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
LEISURE: The new law adds Confucius’ birthday, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou, Constitution Day and Little New Year as national holidays The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed new legislation adding four national holidays and making Workers’ Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party used their combined majority in the legislature to push the jointly proposed draft through its third and final reading. This new law supersedes the existing regulations for the implementation of memorial days and state holidays, which are administered by the Ministry of the Interior. The new law recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou on Oct. 25, Constitution Day on Dec. 25 and “Little New Year,”
RSS