U.P. Martial Law subject should show Marcos side too, says Imee

Aika Rey

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U.P. Martial Law subject should show Marcos side too, says Imee
'Problema kasi, ang academic freedom, freedom lang sa isang pangkat, walang freedom sa iba,' says Senator Imee Marcos

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Imee Marcos said on Wednesday, September 18, that her family’s side should be presented as well in a course on Martial Law to be offered at the University of the Philippines Diliman starting next semester.

Marcos, the eldest child of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, made the statement in a media interview when asked about the inclusion of a Martial Law subject in UP Diliman’s general education curriculum.

“Maganda rin na pinag-aaralan. At least sana bigyan din kami ng pagkakataon na sabihin kung ano ang pagkaalam namin sa nangyari. Importante dun na may viewpoints ng bawat isa at maririnig ang bawat isa,” she said.

(It’s good that it will be studied. At least, hopefully, we would be given a chance to say our knowledge on what happened. It’s important that there are different vewpoints and that everyone is heard.) 

“Problema kasi, ang academic freedom, freedom lang sa isang pangkat, walang freedom sa iba (The problem with academic freedom is that it’s the freedom of only one side, and not the other side),” she added.

Marcos said that she hoped that UP would be fair in teaching the course. She said that she would leave it up to the professors to find a way.

Philippine Studies 21: Wika, Panitikan, at Kultura sa Ilalim ng Batas Militar, a 3-unit course, was recommended by the Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas of the UP College of Arts and Letters. It was launched in a program at Palma Hall on Wednesday.

The Martial Law regime was marked by killings, torture, disappearances, media oppression, and corruption that has left the Philippine economy reeling to this day.

‘Exasperated’

Marcos said on Wednesday that she was just “enduring” the attacks against her family rooted in her father’s 21-year rule, so she hoped others would listen to their side of the story as well.

“Ako naman tinitiis ko rin, eh ‘di ‘yung iba makinig naman sana. Actually sa tingin ko, kasalanan din ng pamilya namin kasi naging tameme rin kami. Tinamad na kami magsalita…kasi parang nakakapagod na,” Marcos said.

(I’m just enduring it, so I hope others would listen as well.  Actually, I think our family is to blame too because we’ve kept silent….. It had become exhausting.)

The senator herself was linked to the tragic death of youth leader Archimedes Trajano in 1977.  

A Hawaii court found Marcos civilly liable for the death of youth leader Archimedes Trajano and ordered her to pay the victim’s family $4.16 million in damages. But the Supreme Court blocked the payment in 2006 over technicalities. (READ: How Imee Marcos got away from paying $4M in damages for Trajano death– Rappler.com

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Aika Rey

Aika Rey is a business reporter for Rappler. She covered the Senate of the Philippines before fully diving into numbers and companies. Got tips? Find her on Twitter at @reyaika or shoot her an email at aika.rey@rappler.com.