More groups rise up vs Bongbong

CEBU, Philippines - Millennials in Cebu vowed to thwart the vice presidential bid of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Youths and student-members of Akbayan, Akbayan Youth, Kabataan Partylist, Kilusan, Piglas Kabataan, Sanlakas Youth, Student Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy of the University of San Carlos joined forces with the newly-launched Anti-Bongbong Marcos Coalition (ABC) to prevent the return of the Marcoses to Malacañang.

Kerinna Atillo, incumbent councilor and presidential candidate of Stand-USC, said they will not allow the namesake son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos or any Marcoses, who caused so much suffering to Filipinos during Martial Law, to regain political power.

“We will fight against dictatorship and Marcoses return to office because we will never be here if you (martial law fighters, torture victims, political prisoners) didn’t fight for us, for our freedom,” she told the crowd during ABC’s first general assembly yesterday.

“We, the people of millennials will never ever stand for dictatorship again. We will never allow this to happen,” she added.

Stand, a political party, was created in 1982 in the wake of martial law.

Atillo said their anti-Marcos campaign will include the conduct of symposia and information drives about the dictatorship years including the crimes against humanity to educate and enlighten the millennials come the May 9 polls.

She said this movement is part of their “campaign for change” encompassing all aspects including student alliance for nationalism and democracy.

“We will not let things (human rights violations) happen again. We believe that if we talk about change, we talk about change not just in what we see but a change in mindset as well,” she said.

Atillo assured they will only vote candidates who have a “progressive value” or those who prioritize the welfare of students, youths and marginalized sector instead of their personal gains and agenda.

Niño Olayvar, coordinator of Kabataan Partylist Cebu, also shared the same sentiment, adding that the millennials should not only study the past but also be critical-minded in choosing country’s next leaders.

Former Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who is once again running for senator in the upcoming polls, came yesterday in Cebu to support the movement against Bongbong. He arrived at the venue and was supposed to deliver a solidarity message, but received an emergency call prompting him to leave.

However, his message was read by his lawyer, which stated his reminder to people, particularly the young generation, that the freedom they are enjoying now was hard-worn.

Pangilinan said a lot of Filipinos suffered and paid with their lives for freedom, and the generation of today cannot dishonor their memories by saying Martial Law was a good thing.

“It was not,” the statement read.

He cited that during that time 3,257 people were killed, 35,000 tortured and 70,000 were imprisoned. Apart from that, the Marcos administration plundered about $10 billion, of which only $4 billion was reco-vered.

He stressed that those who killed and plundered must be brought to justice.

“We want a Truth Commission, similar to the ones in Argentina after the Pinochet dictatorship and in Germany after Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, so that not only institutions, but also individuals, who knowingly carried out illegal orders of torture and executions, will face the consequences of their actions,”the statement further read.

The ABC, composed of at least 15 martial law activists, prisoners and fighters, and students’ groups, then signed vows on a tarp and later chanted in unison their opposition against Marcos.

Also, part of the coalition’s campaign is selling #NoToBongbongMarcos T-shirts and stickers, for P300 and P5, respectively. Monetary donations are also accepted to help fund the campaign operations.  (FREEMAN)