The 1,400 Catholic schools under the group, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) backed the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University in their opposition against the “revision of the history and the effects of martial law” by Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
In a statement quoted by Rappler made by CEAP on March 7, it says,
“The Trustees of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, representing the 1,425 CEAP member-schools, colleges, and universities, support the faculty of the Ateneo de Manila University in their call against the attempt of Ferdinand Marcos Jr to canonize the harrowing horrors of martial rule,”
The statement was released after the presidents of the five Ateneo universities in the Philippines expressed their disagreement of Sen. Marcos Jr.’s “revision of history”.
“With the same fervor, we cry our hearts out, ‘Never Again!’” said CEAP.
Here’s the statement of CEAP quoted by Inquirer:
“We, the undersigned members of the Ateneo de Manila community, vehemently oppose and condemn the ongoing willful distortion of our history. We deplore the shameless refusal to acknowledge the crimes of the Martial Law regime. We reject the revision of history, disturbing vision of the future, and shallow call for ‘unity’ being presented by Marcos Jr. and like-minded candidates in the 2016 elections.”
“It seems we have been remiss in instilling in the youth’s consciousness about the regime’s brutal savagery. Instead they have been drowned out by the Marcosian snares and the Imeldific lies,” it reads.
The group is expressing their worry on the “revision of history” that made youth loyalists stand firmer.
“We believe that the Marcos regime’s economics of debt-driven growth was disastrous for the Philippines. The regime was not interested in inclusive development, long-term state-building, or genuine social transformation of the country, despite its ‘New Society’ rhetoric. Instead, Marcos was mainly concerned with perpetuating his personal hold on power by favoring family members, friends, and other cronies.”
This is regarding the belief of many Filipinos especially the younger generation that the economy of the Philippines during the Marcos’ regime if really soaring high.
“Thus, Marcos simply created new elites or ‘oligarchs’ rather than abolish them — supposedly one of his main justifications for declaring martial law. Those who dared challenge the regime’s monopoly on power, whether politicians, business people, political activists, organized labor, peasants or urban poor, Church workers, students — young or old, rich or poor — were intimidated, imprisoned, kidnapped, tortured or summarily executed,”
This is regarding the pain and suffering experienced and reported by many people during martial law.
A statement added by CEAP, like Ateneo professors, saying that they still remained committed on teaching the truth. The group also made a call to the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education to have “the same level of introspection” as theirs.
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