Lacson, Sotto remind Filipinos to never forget Martial Law abuses
MANILA, Philippines — Senators Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Vicente "Tito" Sotto III urged Filipinos to never forget the abuses committed during the Martial Law regime, a dark time in Philippine history where all kinds of abuses took place.
Lacson and Sotto, who are running for president and vice president, respectively, also said Filipinos have no reason to feel nostalgic about Martial Law where cronyism and persecution took place at the expense of public service.
"How can we forget about our national treasury being ransacked? Even the Central Bank did not have an inkling that it was raided, our reserves were gone, there was no money to be found. Where did it go? How can we forget that?" Lacson said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Do we really want to go through the same experience again where because of abuses our nation went into a state of chaos? Even our moral values were swept under the rug because everyone was just sucking up to the one in power. That was one of the worst things that happened," he added.
Lacson, the standard bearer of Partido Reporma, clarified that he was not recruited to join the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), the group which played a significant role in the historic People Power Revolution on Feb. 25, 1986, even if it was commanded by his classmate and former army colonel Gringo Honasan.
During that time, Lacson was assigned to the Metropolitan Command.
Meeanwhile, Sotto warned Filipinos to guard themselves against believing in the "lies peddled by some camps" selling the idea that martial law was good, adding that one cannot revise history.
"History is history. It has happened. How can you forget that?" he said.
The Senate President said Filipinos have "everything to be proud of" when they toppled a dictator during the first EDSA People Power since it inspired other suppressed countries to fight for their freedoms.
During Martial Law, over 3,200 were killed, 70,000 were incarcerated and 34,000 were tortured.
This election season, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, the son of the late dictator who promulgated Martial Law, is vying for the presidency. The younger Marcos is running alongside Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio who is aspiring for the vice presidential position.
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