Groups Convene in Protest Against Marcos

Photo by Angelo Nico Daroy

Dozens of people gathered in front of Gaisano Metro Mall in Colon Street last Nov. 25, 2016, in protest of the surprise burial of former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB).

From 9:00 a.m. to noon, the crowd intermittently chanted, “Marcos. Hitler. Diktador. Tuta.”

They were the first group out of six to mobilize in the Visayas region.These rallies were done with other groups across the entire country to refuse to recognize Marcos as a hero worthy to be laid to rest beside inspirational Filipinos. They reminded the public of the multiple atrocities committed by him and his family during his regime.

According to them, the dictator’s burial in LNMB foreshadows the rise of support for the already discredited Marcos family, as well as the revival of the “Marcosian ideology”.

The said ideology is an authoritarian form of governance that supports a ruler who can do no wrong. Marcos and his followers invoked this during his term, and multiple human rights violations were inflicted upon thousands of Filipinos as a result.

The protesters wished to “oppose and expose” what they foresee as the return of the Marcoses to the Malacañang and a repeat of the kind of governance that caused immense grief and loss.

Although their mobilization was met with dissent from some passersby, the protesters considered it to be a success in raising awareness and a sparking discourse. They hoped it would prompt organizations to hold educational forums, symposia and the like, in order to sustain the message that they were trying to relay.

The Carolinians present at the scene urged their fellow schoolmates to become more socially aware. They hoped that their presence that day would encourage more students to publicly express their dissent.

Also, the 153^rd birth anniversary of Gat Andres Bonifacio was celebrated in a different light as various Cebu coalition movements gathered together at the Plaza Independencia for a protest against the burial of the late Ferdinand Marcos last Nov. 30, 2016.

Dubbed as “Rage Against Tyranny,” the movement involved a series of activities including a freedom march from the Sto. Rosario Church on P. del Rosario St. to the Gaisano Metro Colon Junction starting at 10:00 a.m. From there, a noise barrage was held before heading to the Plaza Independencia.

The event was formed by the Cebu Citizens’ Assembly Against the Burial of Marcos (CCA) which is composed of different movements including Carolinians Against Historical Revisionism, Akbayan Youth, Coalition Against Marcos and Student Council Alliance in the Philippines, to name a few. It was organized as a protest against the burial of the Martial Law dictator and the recent turnout of events and national crises, which are said to be tyrannical.

Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmena was also present in the protest saying that the Marcos corruption is still evident in today’s politics. Known to be an outspoken anti-Marcos advocate, he also thanked the different attendees and continued to support them by saying “I will stand with you to my last breath.”

The CCA also had a groundbreaking ceremony of a heroes’ monument of the notable Cebuano heroes and martyrs who fought against the Marcos dictatorship. The monument is to be built in the middle of Plaza Independencia.

Seven Cebuanos were honored as heroes of the Martial Law regime by a search committee formed by the CCA; they were Fathers Rosalio “Rudy” Romano and Luis “Louie” Hechanova, Lawyers Vicente Balbuena and Valentino Legaspi, radio personality Nenita “Inday Nita” Cortes-Daluz, Professor Evelyn Neri, and Ribomapil “Dodong” Holganza, Sr.

The same committee also elected the following as the Cebu Martial Law Survivors Worthy of Emulation: Auxilium “Toling” Olayer, Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez, Ruben Diaz, Fr. Emi Maningo, Senator Sergio Osmena III., Professor Zenaida Uy, Lawyer Democrito Barcenas and Judge Meinrado Paredes. These 15 heroes and martyrs will be awarded in a later ceremony.

In related news, an estimate of a thousand pro-Duterte supporters also arrived at the Plaza Independencia on a convoy, simultaneously making a rally alongside the anti-Marcos groups promoting President Duterte’s endorsement and the Supreme Court’s decision of the late dictator’s burial in the Heroes’ Cemetery.

The “Rage Against Tyranny” continued with a noise barrage at the Gaisano Metro Junction from 4:00 p.m. onwards, along with other nationwide protests at the People Power Monument at EDSA.