Never again

I found myself walking once again on the streets of Osmeña Boulevard last Thursday. It was the day to commemorate the events that took place during Martial Law. The chants by the protesters were very clear to me, “Never again, never forget… Never again to Martial Law.”

Many would frown upon this notion, arguing that we weren’t even born at that time. While it is true, history never fails to tell us the truth. At this point, Martial Law supporters would question the legitimate truth. However, the case for this era is different - we still have survivors and their kin who can still retell the stories up to this day.

That is why it is so important to refresh us of what happened in the past by reliving and remembering it. We take to heart all the accounts of those who have gone before us and how they sacrificed their lives in the middle of a regime. There may be attempts to distort the truth with the use of technology in a new trend they call Historical Revisionism. One who is too gullible would believe so. That is why members of the media and other stakeholders should bear the responsibility of remembering the events that took place.

This is not to discredit the current administration or the other individuals who were involved in ransacking our country then. It is a simple reminder that we were once under the hands of a dictator, one that used power to abuse even to the regions.

I feel a cringe every time a student would confirm falsehoods spread on the internet. If only they would open their eyes to the human rights violations done back then. Only those close to the seat of power would be better off. The rest of the population had to confirm to him in one way or another.

We say “Never again” because we do not deserve a kind of leadership that would create fallacies. As it is today, we need transparency and accountability to those who will be elected to power. This means no exemptions to whatever position in the hierarchy.

It is a call to keep on standing up for what is right, true and just based on laws. We ground ourselves in a society where democracy is abreast, even for the press. As the celebration for press freedom in Cebu comes to a close, we go back to its very essence - the right to the freedom that we have now.

If it weren’t for the collaborative fight against tyranny rule, we might have found ourselves lost in made up narratives. We will all be under a spell, away from reality. We celebrate not only the birth of freedom but of how this legacy is kept alive. It is kept alive by the ideals and values that the media live by.

We say “Never again” because we do not want to see in the dark once more. Filipinos deserve to live in light and out of fear.