黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is taking a turn towards the martial law era of former President Ferdinand Marcos, according to another former president who lived through the late strongman鈥檚 reign.

Former President Benigno Aquino III, whose family has been long identified as political rivals of the Marcoses, said on Saturday that some of the government鈥檚 recent proposals remind him of the Marcos regime.

鈥淎ko po medyo nagugulat sa ibang naririnig ko. Ngayon meron na naman tayong Ministry of Human Settlements鈥� Gagawin na raw ho tayong 鈥楳aharlika鈥�,鈥� Aquino told the crowd commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the People Power Revolution.

[I鈥檓 a bit surprised by what I鈥檝e been hearing. Now we again have a Ministry of Human Settlements鈥� And we鈥檙e going to be renamed Maharlika.]

鈥淭ila nagbabalik 鈥榶ong mga ugali at pamamaraan na ating pong nilabanan na no鈥檔g panahon ng kadiliman ng batas militar. Ngayon ho, kumbaga, baka na-detour tayo. Nasa sa atin na po 鈥榶an kung itong detour na ito ay lumalim nang lumalim,鈥� he added.

[It seems we鈥檙e going back to the ways of the regime we fought in the dark days of martial law. Now it seems we are taking a detour. It鈥檚 up to us if we keep going deeper into this detour.]

Aquino was referring to the recent creation of the Department of Human Settlements, which in the Marcos era was called the Ministry of Human of Settlements, headed by then-first lady Imelda Marcos. By Maharlika, he meant the revival of moves to get the Philippines renamed to Maharlika, which Marcos took from the name of the military unit he claimed to have led in the Second World War.

鈥淎ng kaisa-isa yatang naging secretary ng Human Settlements ay si Ginang Marcos eh. Sana naman hindi na si Ginang Marcos. Kawawa naman. May edad na po 鈥榶on eh,鈥� he said.

[The only who became secretary of Human Settlements was Mrs. Marcos. I hope this time it鈥檚 not Mrs. Marcos again. Have pity on her. She鈥檚 already old.]

鈥淟ast time ko narinig 鈥榶an parang si Apo Ferdie pa yata ang naka-upo eh. Hindi na yata left turn 鈥榯o. U-turn na yata ho,鈥� he added.

[The last time I heard that was when it was Apo Ferdie who was in power. We鈥檙e not making a left turn. It seems we鈥檙e making a U-turn.]

鈥淎po Ferdie鈥� refers to Ferdinand Marcos, 鈥渁po鈥� being a term of respect for an elder in the Ilocos Region, where the former strongman came from.

READ:

Duterte signs into law bill establishing Human Settlements Department

Duterte signs law to modify ranks of policemen

In an ambush interview after the program, Aquino questioned whether the President鈥檚 move to rename the country was a 鈥渃onscious decision.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a poor choice of words. You don鈥檛 like the [name] Philippines. You鈥檙e a nationalist, you say it鈥檚 named after a Spanish king. OK, you can accept that. Pero to choose that particular word, and it was Marcos who was floating that idea, was that a conscious choice to indicate a preference?鈥� Aquino said.

鈥淢inistry of Human Settlements 鈥� that only existed for Imelda. If you would use those particular words, is it not just to indicate the function or is it indicative also of your own ideology?鈥� he added.

The President has been vocal of his preference for Marcos, who steered the country for more than 20 years until he was forced to leave the country when people supported military men who defected from the government.

In a speech he delivered last Feb. 11, the President said that Marcos鈥檚 idea of using 鈥淢aharlika鈥� instead of 鈥淧hilippines鈥� 鈥� derived from King Philip II of Spain who funded the exploration of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan 鈥� was correct.

鈥淎ctually, tama si [Ferdinand] Marcos,鈥� the President said. 鈥淧anahon ni Marcos, tama talaga si Marcos. Gusto niya palitan [ng] Maharlika 鈥� the Republic of Maharlika. Gusto niya palitan. It means鈥� more of a concept of serenity and peace.鈥�

[Actually, Marcos was right. In his time, Marcos was really right. He wanted to change the name to Maharlika 鈥� the Republic of Maharlika. He wanted to change it. It means鈥� more of a concept of serenity and peace.]

READ: Duterte agrees with Marcos鈥� idea of renaming 鈥楶hilippines鈥� to 鈥楳aharlika鈥�

Aquino warned that forgetting the lessons of the past, saying: 鈥淜alimutan niyo iyong mga aral no鈥檔g lumipas, garantisado uulitin niyo iyong pagkakamali. Nasa sa inyo iyon. Demokrasya eh. Nasa sa inyo kung uulitin iyong mga madidilim na bahagi ng ating kasaysayan.鈥�

[Forget what you learned about the past and it鈥檚 guaranteed that you would repeat the mistakes. That鈥檚 up to you. That鈥檚 democracy. It鈥檚 up to you if you will allow the repetition of a dark period of our history.] /atm