Penaranda, Brennin Mark O.

2015-0413
Human Rights Law
Atty. Valones, Irene
Former US President Harry S. Truman once said that, "Men make history and not
the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still.
Progress occurs when, courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things
for the better." In our country during those time of hardship, some persons rises up to
make things better for others, they even sacrifice their own for the welfare of the other.

They say that the Victors gets to write the history for the future generations to read
and understand, that these historical records narrates what happened during those times in
their own perspective, but what about in the eyes of the those who are defeated? Are they
the same with the written records? This questions are answered with different opinions
and comments in which people gain further understanding and knowledge about it.

During the Campaign period for the presidential elections on the Philippines last
year's 2015 to 2016, President Rodrigo R. Duterte promised that he would allow the
burial of the Former President Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani to start
the National Healing and moving on from the past.

On May 9, 2016, with the vote of 16 million people, candidate for the president
Rodrigo R. Duterte won the election. After assuming office at noon of June 30, 2016. He
later then on fulfilled one of his promise during the campaign period, which shocked the
country the most. He allowed the burial of the former President Ferdinand E. Marcos at
the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The issue gathered different opinions and reactions
throughout the Philippines specially to the victims of human rights violations during his
regime.

On November 18, The Former President was then buried in the Libingan ng mga
Bayani with full military honors, giving closure to his family and supporters, but in doing
so it reopened the wounds that was inflicted to the victims during his rule.1

The burial of the former president Marcos, was intended for the beginning of the
nationwide healing and "moving on" from the past but instead it gathered criticisms and
reactions from the victims of human rights violations during the martial law victims, they
further argued that the issue brings historical revisionism, re-traumatization and disregard
of their state recognition as heroes.2 Furthermore the victims reiterated that the use of

1
Rappler. (2018). Marcos buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani. [online] Available at:
https://www.rappler.com/nation/152813-ferdinand-marcos-heroes-burial [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].
2
http Lawphil.net. (2018). [online] Available at:
https://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2016/nov2016/pdf/gr_225973_2016.pdf [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].

1
Penaranda, Brennin Mark O.
2015-0413
Human Rights Law
Atty. Valones, Irene
Libingan ng mga Bayani is intended for burial for fallen Heroes and Patriots, They do
not consider the former President as one.

Now the question that comes to our minds is whether is there really a historical
revisionism or non? First we should define what Historical Revisionism is. Historical
Revisionism is defined as a form of re-interpreting of the historical records. It purpose is
to test the views of scholars on historical events.3 In the Light of the burial of Former
President Ferdinand Marcos, the issue of Historical revisionism was raised by the persons
concerned who where the victims during the Marshal Law Period, under as provided in
the case under G.R. No. 225973, the petitioners herein stated that the said burial tries to
change the historical records by making Marcos a hero by means of burying him in the
Libingan ng mga Bayani which the other does not consider him one due to the events that
happened during the martial law regime.

There was an existence of Historical Revisionism in the case of the burial of

Ferdinand Marcos. That form of Revisionism becomes a Historical negationism, in which
it is defined as a form Historical Revisionism that illegitimately distorts the historical
records. It also denotes as a legitimate academic pursuit of re-interpretation of the
historical record and questioning the accepted academic views.4 In the case of the burial
again, historical revisionism was clearly present. The Libingan ng mga Bayani was
founded at the end of World War II, known before as the Republic Memorial Cemetery,
then later on was changed to Libingan ng mga Bayani through Proclamation No. 86 to
symbolize the " cause for which our soldiers have died" and "truly express the nations
esteem and reverence for her war dead"5. It serves as final resting place of Heroes, who
gave their lives to serve for our country. By the name of the Facility itself, it is intended
for the those of who gave their lives to serve the country, Former President Ferdinand
Marcos is not considered as one of them since in the eyes of the victims during his time,
he was a dictator that took the lives of many, in short he was no hero for them.

By burying him the Libingan ng mga Bayani, it tries to gaslight the people in
which it tries to sow seeds of doubt in minds of the people to question their perception.
The burial of the Former President attempts to destabilize the beliefs of the people, by
portraying him as a Hero of this country which is not. What the current administration did
3
En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Historical revisionism. [online] Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_revisionism [Accessed 26 Mar. 2018].
4
En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Historical negationism. [online] Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_negationism [Accessed 26 Mar. 2018].
5
http Lawphil.net. (2018). [online] Available at:
https://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2016/nov2016/pdf/gr_225973_2016.pdf [Accessed 20 Feb. 2018].

2
Penaranda, Brennin Mark O.
2015-0413
Human Rights Law
Atty. Valones, Irene
is that they are trying to portray Former President Marcos as a Person worthy of being a
called as a hero for serving the country. What the current administration did was trying
the our historical records by portraying Marcos as a Hero, and the administration
reasoned to the masses that it is time to move on from the past. However the people
believed that the reason why the current administration approved the burial is that it tries
to revise the historical records, making them to believe that the history that we know is
inaccurate. The social environment that we belong to also has a vital role on the said
Revisionism. Retired University of the Philippines Professor Judy Taguiwalo stated that
information that we know about that the Marshal Law era was little because the textbooks
that we know contains only sanitized page on the declaration of Martial Law by former
President.6 Professor Taguiwalo also added that in the media, there were only few
documentaries that focus on the topic.7 She said in an interview that, “ there is failure in
the educational system, and even in the media, to make sure the memories stay fresh for
the generations that did not live to see it through.”8

The statements made by professor Taguiwalo tells us that the environment that we
dwell in also affects our appreciation of the written history. The lack of access to general
knowledge prohibits the future generation from understanding what really happened
during the Marshal Law period. This in turn creates a rift or a void in the mind of a young
individual. That created void was then filled by the information that he/she gathered from
what he/she sees in the world of social media and the like, making them to believe that
this what truly happened instead, in that manner the history gets re-interpreted to the
point that they prefer to believe in that false information that was being fed to them.

In conclusion, the burial of the former President to the Libingan ng mga Bayani,
brought changes to the written records of history, it changes the perspective of the
younger generation making them to believe that the former President who ordered the
Marshal Law for over 2 decades is a hero, however the wounds and cries of the victims
who are affected by the regime tell it otherwise and therefore burying him in the Libingan
ng mga Bayani makes the sacrifices of the previous generations into nothing.

6
Inquirer, P. (2018). ‘Schools, media to blame for revisionist history’. [online] Newsinfo.inquirer.net.
Available at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/771251/schools-media-to-blame-for-revisionist-history [Accessed 26
Mar. 2018].
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.