At least a hundred students, faculty, and employees of the University of the Philippines Los Ba帽os, attend a program honoring victims of martial law, at the Hagdan ng Malayang Kamalayan on Wednesday afternoon. INQUIRER PHOTO/KIMMY BARAOIDAN/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON
Faculty and students from the University of the Philippines Los Ba帽os (UPLB) pay tribute to the victims of martial law.
Cultural presentations and tributes 鈥渋n honor of the victims鈥� were lined up for the 5:30 p.m. program聽on Wednesday聽in the event dubbed 鈥淎raw ng Paggunita sa mga Biktima ng Martial Law,鈥� said UPLB Social Science Department chair Dwight Diestro.
Among those to deliver short talks were lawyer and Martial Law activist Filemon Nolasco and visual artist Emmanuel Garibay.
Diestro said students would also speak in memory of activists Liliosa Hilao, Macli-ing Dulag, and Melito Glor, after whom the New People鈥檚 Army command in Southern Tagalog was named.
鈥淣ever again, let us not allow a repeat of it,鈥� Diestro said of the state atrocities committed after Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law on September 21, 1972.
The Social Science Department has rolled out activities leading to the 46th martial law anniversary聽on Friday. In August, the department also held public screenings of documentaries about martial law.
Diestro, who himself is joining protests in Manila聽on Friday, said student organizations have also prepared for activities, like a forum and a series of testimonies, at the UPLB on Friday.
In a phone interview prior to the聽5:30 p.m.聽program, Diestro said they expected a 鈥済ood turn out鈥� despite heavy rains in Los Ba帽os noting that this year鈥檚 freshmen, who happened to be the first batch of graduates of the government鈥檚 K-12 program, 鈥渁ppear to be enthusiastic鈥� in attending discussions about martial law.
He said the department was merely adhering to the proclamation issued early this week by UP President Danilo Concepcion that declares every聽September 21聽as a 鈥淯P Day of Remembrance鈥� in honor of the university鈥檚 contributions to fight dictatorship and despotism./lb