An apology and an expression of remorse will make Filipinos move on and finally close the chapter of excesses of the martial rule by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, former National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) chief Liza Maza said yesterday.
Maza – a member of the human rights claims board – said the Marcos family should apologize in blasting Imee Marcos’ statement saying Filipinos who continue to rail against her family should move on.
The former Ilocos Norte Gov. Marcos said: “These issues of Aquino versus Marcos have become less and less important with time.”
The former NAPC secretary said that the younger Marcos is “very wrong” to say that the issue of human rights abuses during martial law was only between the Aquinos and the Marcoses and that the public simply has to move on.
“This is a question of justice for the victims of the crimes committed by the dictator,” Maza said.
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“There is already a law giving compensation. This is a statement saying that indeed the dictator committed these crimes,” she added.
Maza stressed that the call for an apology does not stem from hatred but the clamor for the Marcoses to admit that they did the Filipino people wrong when they were still in power.
“This is not about hating, this is about the Marcoses admitting that these things happened and they should also show remorse and show acceptance and recognition. Up to this time they haven’t,” Maza said.
She also disagreed with Marcos’ statement that the younger populace “has moved on to other problems.”
“I think that many millennials are also recognizing, studying history and realizing that these things happened and they are also saying this should not happen again,” Maza said.
“Especially last year, when this issue came up, highlighted in the national news, the return of the Marcoses. A lot of millennials stood up and spoke to say they don’t want a repeat of the Marcoses.”
Maza recently resigned from her post as NAPC chief, citing the rise of former President Arroyo as Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Marcos family as factors in her decision.
“I don’t see real change in our country with the return of the old forces of fascism, of corruption, all these dynasties that have ruled our country that only serve the interests of the elite and the foreigners,” Maza said.
