Anti-Marcos protest isn’t about closure. It’s about clinging to political power

TAMA NA, SOBRA NA.

There will never be closure if those responsible for illegal detention, torture, disappearances, murder and other human rights violations associated with martial law are not held accountable. They should be investigated, charged, brought to trial and punished if guilty.  Censure or pardon them if need be but make them accountable.  The same goes for the killing of Ninoy Aquino.  Why his family and their supporters prefer not to know the truth should make you suspicious.   Do the same for those who aided and abetted plunder. Otherwise, we will have this endless national litany of the same never again, no to martial law, no justice without repentance mantra.  People are sick and tired of this.  

Martial Law was not just one man.  Marcos is dead.  Patay na po.  Matagal na. It does not matter where he is buried.  You can run over his body with a steam roller over and over, you will still have no closure.  You can demand an apology, repentance and restitution everyday as you have been doing for the past 30 years till you turn blue in the face, you will never have closure.  If you really want closure you have to hold those responsible accountable (imagine what Germany will be today without the Nuremberg trials).  Many of those who implemented, enforced and carried out orders under martial law are still alive. Do not pretend you do not know who they are.  Do not hide behind some public relations tag line that they have done their act of contrition and paid their debt to society. You even elected them to public office. Go after them, hold them accountable. At the very least, investigate them. Find out who betrayed EDSA 86.  You will be surprised how many politicians and families who fought Marcos are nothing more but hungry crooks interested in amassing wealth, political power or holding on to what they have.  If you cannot do that, you are either an intellectually dishonest hypocrite, hopelessly brainwashed, completely stupid, pathetically naive or supportive of a political agenda that needs a hook to hang its power base coat on.

Do not be swayed by leaders with this over used “never again” agenda.  Do not allow yourselves to be used anymore. 30 years under “a restored democracy” is more than enough to know what the story is all about and it is not about justice for the victims of martial law nor is it about remembering the horrors and the darkness.  It is about political power and holding on to it.

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Butch Cabanban as posted on Facebook.