Palace says Marcos, Enrile can't "twist history"
Former Senators Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile could not "twist history" that there were human rights violations committed during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, Malacanang said on Monday.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said there were court decisions and even a law passed by Congress providing compensation for the victims of martial law.
"As far as the Palace is concerned, there are decisions affirming that there were grave human rights violations committed during the Marcos regime. There’s even a law in Congress which provides for compensation for victims of martial law," he said.
"I don’t think they can twist history when there’s a law and there are court decisions attesting to what happened during martial law," he said.
Thus, Roque said the position of the Palace is that it is implementing the law, which is to pay reparations to the victims of martial law.
In a one-on-one interview by the younger Marcos to Enrile which circulated on social media, the two talked about the good things that happened during the 20-year rule of Marcos regime.
Enrile even came out with a statement no one was arrested during martial law due to a person's political and religious beliefs and there was only one person, a Chinese, who was executed during that time.
But Enrile's claim was disputed by the victims themselves who were arrested and detained and by the relatives of those who perished during martial rule.
Marcos declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972 until 1981 in the whole country.
Asked if the Palace sees any hidden agenda by Bongbong and Enrile for coming out with such an interview, Roque said, "That's their business, that's an issue that we have nothing to do with." Celerina Monte/DMS
