黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Since last year, Feb. 25, the day that marked the end of the over 20-year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., has ceased to be a special non-working day.

But this year, schools and students are taking the lead in resisting attempts to 鈥渄iminish the significance鈥� of a critical moment in the history of the Philippines 鈥� 鈥渙ne that toppled a dictatorship and restored civil liberties.鈥�

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This, as Malaca帽ang, which is now led by Ferdinand Marcos Jr., declared in Proclamation No. 727 that Feb. 25 will be a working day this year, a downgrade from how it has often been marked since 1987.

As pointed out by the De La Salle Philippines (DLSP), Filipinos should 鈥渞esist all attempts to erase from our collective memory what our nation achieved in February 1986鈥� and 鈥渄emand accountability from those who govern us.鈥�

READ: #Edsa36: Remembering those who gave up their lives

The DLSP has declared suspension of classes and work in all of its schools on Tuesday, Feb. 25, as a gesture of its 鈥渃ommitment to the enduring values of freedom and justice.鈥�

The Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae-Philippines Schools Network stated, as well, that the commemoration of the Edsa People Power Revolution will be a special non-working day.

鈥淚ts essence should always be recognized, felt, and observed,鈥� it said.

The University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu and Diliman, Edsa-Ortigas Consortium of Schools, University of Santo Tomas, University of the East (UE) Manila and Caloocan, and Adamson University (AdU), among others, likewise declared a suspension of classes and work.

READ: LIST: More schools suspend classes for Edsa People Power anniversary

As the Adamson University said, 鈥渢his sinister strategy of sidelining history and downplaying the gains of freedom in the Edsa People Power Revolution is not acceptable to us.鈥�

Based on data from the Human Rights Violations Victims鈥� Memorial Commission, there were 11,103 victims of the dictatorship from 1972 to 1986鈥�2,326 were killed or disappeared, while 1,922 were tortured.

Youth struggle

Recognized all over the world as a symbol of courage, the Edsa People Power Revolution was the result of the resistance and sacrifices of thousands of Filipinos, most of them students, who stood against Marcos Sr.

Five years after the declaration of martial law in 1972, the dictatorship was shaken by intense demonstrations that were led by students from 10 colleges and universities in Metro Manila, like UP, UE, and AdU.

Students walked out of their classes for a massive protest in July 1977, where close to 200,000 students demanded the reinstatement of student councils and campus newspapers, demilitarization of schools and a stop to tuition increases.

As pointed out in a column published in the Philippine Revolution Web Central, the extent of the action prompted the dictatorship to heed the call, and inspired the youth to strengthen their resolve to fight for their rights.

The First Quarter Storm (FQS), which saw Filipinos marching in rage to protest government abuses in 1970, was likewise led by students who inspired workers and peasants to take to the streets to protest police violence and government repression.

Disappointing

But this is also exactly the reason that UP President Angelo Jimenez鈥檚 declaration of Feb. 25 as an 鈥渁lternative learning day鈥� has received backlash, with some saying that it was 鈥渟pineless, disappointing.鈥�

鈥淯P has historically been a center of resistance against the dictatorship and fascism of the Marcoses,鈥� said Franz Joseph Beltran, vice chairperson of the UP Diliman University Student Council.

鈥淩esistance is the university鈥檚 living tradition,鈥� he pointed out. 鈥淔rom the Diliman Commune, the FQS, to the present day, the UP Community has tirelessly sought accountability from the Marcoses for all of their crimes against the Filipino people.鈥�

For Beltran, Jimenez鈥檚 statement was 鈥渄isappointing because more could have been said鈥� in declaring UP鈥檚 stand on the commemoration of Feb. 25, especially against the backdrop of a Marcos Jr. presidency and attempts to distort history.

黑料社 has reached out to Jimenez鈥檚 office but has not yet received a response.

鈥淎s university officials, we expected them to carry the same principles and struggles that the UP community has historically waged,鈥� he said, stressing that other schools have released stronger statements that clearly outline their stand.

READ: Over 70 groups to hold protest rally on Edsa anniversary

They were able to highlight in their statements why students should be compelled to take part in activities and mobilizations for the commemoration of the EDSA People Power Revolution, Beltran said.

Taking the lead

He explained that 鈥渨hen historical distortionism is at a full offensive, we must not shy away from or be conservative in calling on our fellow community members to mobilize in keeping the memory of People Power alive while actively resisting the Marcos regime and their efforts to sanitize the atrocities of their past.鈥�

Beltran said while they recognize Jimenez鈥檚 declaration of an 鈥渁lternative learning day,鈥� 鈥渢his is ultimately unclear and undermined by his order to let the various constituent units decide on how they will apply this.鈥�

鈥淣ow more than ever, it is crucial for historically significant institutions like UP to not only take clear and courageous positions, but to lead the call in demanding accountability from the Marcoses and in reinvigorating the spirit of the Edsa People Power Revolution among the Filipino people,鈥� he said.

He said 鈥渢he efforts to distort history are well-funded, highly coordinated, and enduring. Millions of pesos have been spent over the years to fund troll farms, plant dubious recollections of history in media, revise the Basic Education curriculum, and erase the significance of the Edsa People Power in effectively ousting a dictator.鈥�

鈥淪chools and universities give us the space to struggle against this,鈥� Beltran stressed.