“Those vowing to bring change to Malacañang must place human rights and justice on top of their agenda,” the Bayan leader added. “The accountability of public officials involved in various atrocities, from the time of Marcos to Arroyo, should form part of the candidates’ platform.”
Several times the protesters at Mendiola chanted, “Marcos, Gloria, walang ‘pinag-iba – parehong tuta, diktador, pasista!” – a view expounded upon by a number of the speakers.
Karapatan chairperson Marie Hilao Enriquez drew parallels between the Marcos dictatorship and the Arroyo regime, and called on the people to “end Arroyo’s tyranny.”
“We should not just suffer and endure a president who thinks like Marcos!” exclaimed Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan of the Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP), who also said that women are among the worst victims of “tyrannical” regimes like those of Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino, meanwhile, said that while today’s youth may have no direct knowledge of what it was like during Marcos’s time, “repression under the Arroyo regime gives (them) insights into what martial law was like.”
Pedro “Tata Pido” Gonzales, a leader of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the Philippines) and a victim of a frustrated killing under the Arroyo administration, took it further and described Arroyo as worse than Marcos. “The bad dream known as martial law has become an absolute nightmare under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo!” he cried.
Rain threatened to fall on the protesters toward the end of the program at Mendiola, but they stayed on. The program concluded with Cristina Guevarra of the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) calling on today’s youth to follow the example of Kabataang makabayan (KM or Patriotic Youth), an organization founded in 1964 which distinguished itself in the series of anti-Marcos demonstrations that is now known as the First Quarter Storm of 1970. (Bulatlat.com)
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September 21st, 2009 at 9:38 pm
[...] Read the story September 21, 2009, 9:38 PM ARTICLE TOOLS SHARE THIS STORY TAGS arroyo, Marcos, martial law CATEGORIES [...]
September 22nd, 2009 at 3:43 pm
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Philippines: Gloria Arroyo a Tyrant Worse than Ferdinand Marcos
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 am
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September 24th, 2009 at 4:51 am
may kunting nakita lang ho ako sa title na mas tirano si gma kesa marcos. sa aking palagay, hindi pa mapantayan ni gloria si marcos sa pagkatirano. comparable pa seguro ang mas matalim.
September 26th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Miss Jesusa Bernardo, Are you saying that Filipinos must not complain to what happening in the Philippines? You can't compare African and Chinese people to the Filipinos. Because if you tried to compare I'll say you are a stupid person. Philippines are very rich country and most citizen are educated. Most of this educated citizen are now suffering in middle east as servant. Even some of them are being raped or abuse, they can't get help in your good embassy. Because your great president sign a contract to Arab countries, that Filipinos OFW can't just leave their employer till they finish their contract. Your Good President don't consider, how about if the employer abuse our country men and women? I could say your President sold our country men because of a dollar. Are you one of Gloria's great dogs? Because people like Marcos, Ramos and Arroyo's families I hate all of them and all the politicians that is corrupt. If time came and the country change, and those politician be executed and nobody want to full the trigger, I'm happy to do it. If I'm still alive.
September 27th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
nakakabasag ng katahimikan ang site ng bayan muna, dapat ng makialam ang karaniwang mamamayan, nakakalungkot mang isipin ang kalagayan ng bansang pilipinas ay lubahang nakaririmarim nababalot tayo ng kurakot na namumuno sa ating bayan kaya nga gayun nalang ang pagkasabik ng mas maraming pilipino sa darating na halalan para pumili ng mamumuno na magbibigay ng tapat, malinis at wastong liderato, panahon na upang wasakin ang rehas na bumabalot sa bawat pilipino na dala ng ganid at halimaw na pulitiko, panahon na upang baliin nag nakaliliit na tingin a bawat pilipino na may bayang mahirap, nangunguna a corruption, patuloy na pananalasa ng druga, dahilan ng patuloy na pag laganap ng terorismo at pag rerebelde, samasama po tayong labanan ang halimaw na liderato, sa darating na halalan pumili ng tamang lider, pigilan sa pag hahari ang reyna ng kadiliman at samasamang manalagin para sa bansang punong uno ng pag-asa na darating anng araw tataas ang antas ng pamumuhay ng bawat isang pilipino..
October 1st, 2009 at 9:48 am
@ German Shepherd,
What did you just write?
You lost me there. LOL