The Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto, which was founded by former political prisoners during the Marcos dictatorship, denounces the disturbing pattern of dismissal of civil cases involving the Marcoses by Philippine courts. This comes alongside the propensity of the Marcoses to pursue their campaign to distort history and whitewash their crimes as now President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator, has declared September 11, his father’s birthday, as a holiday in Ilocos Norte.
The dismissal of these cases, which involve billions of ill-gotten wealth by the Marcos family and their cronies, raises significant questions on the fairness and transparency of the Philippine judicial system.
The recent declaration of September 11 as a holiday in Ilocos Norte by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has further deepened the wounds of those who suffered during the Martial Law era. Such a move glorifies a period in Philippine history marked by human rights violations and authoritarian rule and is an attempt to rewrite history and whitewash the dark legacy of the Marcos Sr. regime.
SELDA emphasizes the importance of pursuing and obtaining real justice for the victims during Marcos Sr.’s martial law. The Marcoses, their cohorts and cronies should be genuinely held accountable for their crimes.