FIRST AND FOREMOST, take this with a grain of salt. Last September 21, the Philippines commemorated the 52nd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., a period that significantly undermined the very institutions of democracy we enjoy today.
Under this dark past, the nation’s freedoms were put on hold—dissent was suppressed with impunity, rights were curtailed, and most of all, the tyrannical machinery of Marcos Sr. ruled everything, and everyone, with an iron fist. Subsequently, this era became the impetus for a nonviolent uprising known today as the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
“its stifling silence in remembering a tumultuous period in our history leaves many, myself included, asking: what happened?”
Although 52 years have passed, the memories of those who witnessed firsthand the atrocities and violations committed by an authoritarian and personalistic regime continue to resonate to this day.
Yet, despite many who condemned the events that took place within Martial Law on the day of the anniversary itself, San Beda remained unnervingly quiet about the whole ordeal. Quite literally, it was as if an ordinary day took place—deprived of even a statement from the University acknowledging what had been. It continues to bother me even as I write this piece a month later.
Are we forgetting that, at the onset of Martial Law, it was the Bedan Rectors who kept the school open despite government threats and surveillance, boldly denouncing the wrongdoings of the dictatorship during liturgy? Have we not borne witness to the students and alumni who took to the streets in protest, fighting for the basic rights and freedoms of the average Juan and Juana?
Many notable Bedans were also at the forefront of the fight against oppressive systems during Martial Law, including Benigno Aquino—whose death fueled the anger and resentment that culminated in the uprising—Rene Saguisag, Raul Roco, and Ramon Mitra
Even The Bedan played a pivotal role, as its office briefly served as the headquarters for protesters and student-activists.
Hence, for an institution that envisions its community as “fully human and truly Filipino”—one that once “held the line” in the face of tyranny—its stifling silence in remembering a tumultuous period in our history leaves many, myself included, asking: what happened?
In “The Book of Laughter and Forgetting,” Milan Kundera warns about “international forgetfulness,” which he describes as the conscious disregard for past mistakes detrimental to a society’s identity and moral compass. Inaction is deliberate, and being quiet in commemoration as heavy as this bears the possibility of allowing history to repeat itself.
Despite everything, a silver lining remains: the spirit of advocacy and activism is alive in us, the students. Both professional and non-professional organizations within the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) have harnessed their platforms to amplify the voices of past victims, doing all they can to champion a just and equitable society be it in their statements and projects.
We must continue to face the uncomfortable truths of our past through meaningful discourse, fostering a space for critical thinking that allows no room for complicity—something that our precious University must take into mind. Above all, may we never forget.
email me at the thebedan_associateeditor@sanbeda.edu.ph