(Take it from my readers)
Vox Populi, Vox Dei! The Voice of the People is the Voice of God! Many readers expressed their views on the series of articles that I wrote about the Marcos burial issue and the Marcos Fake Medals. I am publishing some of them in this column for the benefit of other readers.
On the Marcos burial at Libingan Ng Mga Bayani articles
Ramon Magsaysay “Insightful, appropriate and objective given the intense fear, hopelessness, and despair of those who suffered needlessly when the martial law years snuffed out democratic process as we knew it.”
Cecilia Maynigo Viscayno “Wow! Excellent writing…Very impressive. We can now add another M to your 3Ms, Macapagal, Marcos, Manglapus and Maynigo”
A Liza Julao “Your notes about LNMB should be read in all "Philippine History Classes" as a requirement (as part of the curriculum)...I'm hat's off to you, Sir Benjamin...Thank you for sharing……. It is holy to forgive, we should also be blessed with a memory that never forgets….We need to be reminded of EDSA, aka..People Power Revolution of 1986”
Evangeline Jo Kimber “Wow! I have long wanted correct answers for that question of to be or not to be buried there at the LNMB….. I wish that Bong2 would read your answers to my Questions, Benjamin. Thank you for what you tell us….. I am shocked. I am related to Marcos´ by blood. If I am the president, I would not accept him to be buried there at the LNMB.”
Matsy Balan-eg Tumacdang “What a great article sir! A number of Marcos loyalists didn't even realize such offensive crimes done by late Pres. Marcos. If ever they did, they would rather argue and say; "Not even one of those crimes were tried in the courts, how can they be proven? Anyone found guilty of any crime should undergo a due process of law." Thus, the argument remains either the corpse of the late Pres. Marcos should be buried or not at the cemetery of the heroes.”
Mitzi Pickard “Thank you for your informative and insightful article, Ben. We must not allow FM to be buried in LNMB! This would be a travesty and especially more so if it happens during PNoy's presidency. I would be utterly disappointed and dismayed w/ PNoy if he accedes to this request….Why this issue was even brought up during PNoy's 1st year as Prez. baffles me? He should have stood up and said "no" as soon as the suggestion was brought up. …FM at LNMB = PNoy at d'Pits.”
Jane Singson Fields ”That would really be adding insult to injury!”
Lakan Dula “I vote NO... i was just thinking, if there was no people power uprising and fm were still in power (makes it longer that ghadaffi's), would the philippines been continually subjected to a rule characterized by human rights abuse, political repression, unlawful persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement….i agree with your assessment on why let the sleeping dog lie as is, status quo... we should move on to the more timely challenges and problems to advance ph to a brighter future... bongbong should leave this alone so as not to open this dark period in our history...FM was sly, cunning person, feared by his friends and enemies... he had a towering ego and unparalleled paranoia... he lied to the filipino people, to the world, to his friends, to his families, and to himself... i remember when he falsely claimed that he saved pope paul vi life from an knife-wielding assassin...”
Hernan Hormillosa “this is a no-brainer, a non-issue... Bongbong is courting the ire of the Filipino people. Instead of insisting on the lnmb burial, he might want to return the spoils of his father's regime,,, if i recall, he even told all and sundry that lucio tan's companies were theirs... tsk, tsk... showing some documents as proof. what happened to that?”
Lucas Madamba “Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani? After 20 years of dictatorial rule?... I would say no... A President and Commander-in-Chief can only be given the honor if and only if he can first satisfy and fulfill the requirements of a clean, orderly, honest and good quality governance (like President Ramon Magsaysay) without any stigma or scar of political and government hazards before he can deserve the honor of being buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The Libingan ng mga Bayani is a sensitive place and landmark which deserves significant honor and which should honor those citizens who have not only contributed a lot for the prosperity of the country but also who have exercised absolute order, honesty, good quality governance and cleanliness of productive leadership.”
Helen Grace Damaso “Marcos was a congenital liar to keep him in wealth and unassailable power forever and ever. Imagine a creature combining Arroyo and Ampatuan. Multiply the malevolence a hundredfold. You get Marcos. And, if PNoy gives in to pressure and allow Marcos' burial at Libingan, it will be an official act formally declaring that Filipinos are the biggest fools on earth….The Guinness Book of World Records listed Marcos as the greatest alleged thief in history. And there is no question that American intelligence agencies were aware of the systematic looting by the Marcoses. We Pinoys can forgive...but we can never forget…… Filipinos are forgiving by nature and have short memories. But somehow let us start raising a standard of greatness. LNMB should serve as inspiration and a standard for many to sacrifice even their personal desires for the sake of his countrymen. This is just like asking for a final judgment and the mere fact that it's taking this long for him to be buried amongst the heroes is proof enough that he is not one of them.”
Bettina Bonnevie Obias “Ben. You wrote a very informative, remarkable article esp. on the Philippines
In my humble opinion, this emotional issue obfuscates the masses memory of the past. But, it is contrived as an act of vindication to the vestiges of contemptible crimes committed against the Filipino people with a single act of Pres Marcos’ “heroic” burial.
This ruse, with some remnants of his era, is consistent with acts of miscreant politician & natural despot: evincing despotism that is arbitrary, scheming & calculative. For despot, the laws exist to use against their detractor at will; while, the same laws apply to them only to the extent they deem will further their own self interest. The facts and truth have no bearings in court, in the eyes of God or people – if the truth does not work in their interest.
It is insensible to that fact that these laws are a set of rules designed to encourage a set of behavior that promulgate the spirit of good will & good faith, and how it is practice invokes that spirit. To bury him at the cemetery of the heroes is not only wrong—-it scorns the spirit of heroism & good will.
We don’t need to be reminded that his repressive regime was marred by rampant corruption, political mismanagement by his relatives and cronies, which culminated with the assassination of Benigno Aquino. Pres Marcos will be remembered by students of history as a quintessential kleptocrat, having looted billions of dollars from the Filipino treasury & left a legacy of nepotism & corrupt ‘Padrino system’ of government.
The greatest tragedy above all is the fact that Pres Marcos was brilliant political virtuoso. But, at the cusp of greatness, he chose oppression, greed & avarice & absolute power over unshakable principle of service to country, people & God that are the true mark of a hero.
His children should make a remarkable act of atonement, if they want the sordid mark on their name untarnished and not to contrive further ruse that further impugns their name and Pres Marcos’ memory. After all, we Filipinos are compassionate & magnanimous people”
On the Marcos Fake Medals Redux (I-1V)
Jose Alejandrino “Well done, Ben. The US Army records and the testimonies of witnesses like Boni Gillego and Vicente Rivera should put an end to all the absurdities about the Marcos medals. I have a great respect for Boni Gillego, a Governor and Congressman of Sorsogon. As the saying goes, you can fool some people some of the time but you can't fool all the people all the time…….This article should put to rest all the nonsense about his medals. Congratulations to the author…..It is incredible that we have 216 congressmen wanting to rewrite history based on ignorance by passing that resolution. Do we need a Congress?’”
Presy Guevara “Beatrice Romualdez Francia, the deposed niece of Imelda, produced a well written book based on documents she has compiled. She mentioned the anomaly of FM's awards. How quickly can 216 congressmen be deceived?”
Tommy Marcial “When you are a hero the people will declare you a hero…… The Truth must come out, like the cases of corruption in our government. There must be no stone unturned. Especially on the murders of the people; Ampatuans, and other political killings. Justice must prevail…. Paano magiging bayani ang isang leader na nagsamantala sa bayan at maraming namatay na mga taong lumaban sa kanyang dictadora. When Marcos curtailed our rights and freedom and became a dictator and ousted because of graft and corruption in his government and until now the money taken was not returned. Will be a hero? “
Danny Benavente “It’s unfortunate to all Filipinos during Marcos time that none of these misdeeds were never uncovered during the time when he was trying to get elected as a young congressman in Ilocos. And eventually, up to the time of his presidency!”
Carmina S. Gomez “Most politicians if not all, have a sense of entitlement and a disclaimer of consequential damages!.”
Joseph Gandhi Gomez “Even his medals are not authentic if they are to be bases as well. Some say do not "wreak" upon the children the sins of the father...but the children willingly and with open eyes participated in that dictatorship. Now they become their father's apologists. And lo and behold the Imeldific, who claims never to have stolen anything from the people. Abay' kung di lang natin alam --- akalain mong sabihin na sila pa ang pinagnakawan ng President Cory administration. Heaven help us all not to fall into the dark and deep pit of another Marcos administration. Forgive and forget...never. In memory of those who suffered and died in the Marcos regime..let us not forget. LET US REMEMBER MORE! We owe it to the sovereign Filipino people.”
Ed Miranda Atienza “Ben, thank you for your wonderful article that enlightened most of our compatriots here and elsewhere.”
Conrado Doria “Thanks 4 ur
Hernan Hormillosa " the truth shall set us free. "
Lakan Dula “I’m 110% convinced that Ferdinand Marcos doesn't make the grade as a hero - not from his military service, not as the president of the country, and definitely not as a human being as he lacked integrity and honesty...yes, he must have based his alleged exploits from the many war movies he watched.”
Chrisler Cabarrubias “thanks ben, for there are some soldiers and guerillas who fought and shed blood for the country, were not even mentioned, your publications can put a stop to the mouths of the fake heroes.”
Evangeline Jo Kimber “I salute to all the writings you have made Ben. Indeed the credits goes fundamentally to those officers, who originally wrote/investigated about the reports, but many of us, never saw those news and because of your work of reviving them, now we are well informed. Thank you. … This is going to be a great historical movie to see.”
Helen Grace Damaso “Thanks for those informative articles, uncle. Realization cannot take place if we don’t have the information we need. We cannot decide wisely if we are bereft of knowledge. The truth, detailed and documented, has the power to engage citizens, enrage us, hence to give hope for a better country…Marcos was in the war, perhaps as an ordinary soldier. But to say that he was a hero is something else. History does not seem to prove that. We are the ones who started the power of a peaceful revolt. That was our gift to the world. So if we bury him at the LNMB, other nations will think that there was really no reason for our revolt in the first place. So what are we going to teach? We will revert history and we will reverse everything.”
Lillian Espanola “This is eye opening! Thanks uncle for bringing this to my attention. I did not know how low this man was, without a conscience.”
The following readers also said they LIKE at least one of the articles: Aurora Pijuan, Alexis Poblador Mitjavile, Peter Siapno, Charo Carmona Buencamino, Venz Maynigo, Grace Valera, Herman Caoile, Fe Gal-lang, and Elvie Garcia Bangit
The above readers bravely stood and spoke up with all patriotic Filipinos and freedom-loving men and women of the world on the right side of history! For doing so, they have become part of it for the “emulation and inspiration of this generation and the generations still unborn.” (Republic Act No. 289)
No comments:
Post a Comment