THE suppression of press freedom and the persecution of government critics during the Martial Law era have evolved into the ills of disinformation, lies, and hateful online discourse, a panel of leaders declared during a forum organized by advocacy group Democracy Watch Philippines and held online recently.
During the forum “Curbing the Pandemic of Disinformation: What Really Happened During Martial Law,” various experts shared their personal experiences during a dark phase of the country’s history and said these evils have resurfaced in a different form half a century later, in the form of fake news.
“There is no truth to the claim that there were no arrests made, and that nobody was killed, and that nobody abused power during this period,” said Diwa Guinigundo, former deputy governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Guinigundo cited Amnesty International’s figures that there were 72,000 arrested, 34,000 tortured, and 3,000 killed.
“Even I was arrested,” he said, adding the ruling family claimed ownership of utilities and manufacturing conglomerates.
The former central bank official vehemently denied that the years of military dictatorship were the golden years of Philippine economic history. “We engaged in massive infrastructure projects for show and the opportunity to make money.” he said, but as a result, we found ourselves in a debt trap. Truth can build a nation but lies tear it down,” Guinigundo said.
Judge Raul Pangalangan, former dean of the UP College of Law and former judge of the International Criminal Court, said the first-hand accounts of those who lived the martial law experience hold a special place in history.
“In the war on disinformation, there is no weapon more powerful than the personal truth spoken by the victims themselves, stepping up to the challenge and facing down the dictatorship all over again,” he said.
Pangalangan asked Filipinos to rebuild democracy as institutions have been perverted in the course of many presidencies.
“We must consolidate our sense of community as a people bound up in each other lives and futures… spread the word, and never lose sight of the power of the word,” he said.
