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The frenzy to purchase books documenting Marcos’ harmful 21-year reign comes as his son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., assumes workplace after a landslide election victory in Might.
Marcos Jr. has by no means publicly acknowledged or apologized for the human rights abuses, corruption and theft that historians say passed off below his father’s management.
And there are fears that now he’s in energy, he’ll attempt to rewrite historical past.
Journalist Raissa Robles, the creator of “Marcos Martial Regulation: By no means Once more,” mentioned after Marcos Jr.’s win she obtained emails from readers all around the world with requests to reprint the detailed dive on the victims of martial regulation.
“The e book value had practically doubled and but the folks have been shopping for the e book by batches. They weren’t simply shopping for one or two. They have been shopping for 5 or 10 at a time,” Robles mentioned.
The principle trigger for concern got here from the president himself.
“Now we have been calling for that for years,” Marco Jr. mentioned in a discussion board hosted by the Nationwide Press Membership, as he accused these in energy since his father’s demise of “instructing kids lies.”
The household has repeatedly denied utilizing state funds for his or her private use — a declare challenged in a number of court docket instances.
CNN reached out to the brand new Marcos authorities for remark however has not obtained a response.
Demand surges for books on the Marcos regime
“He acquired it completed. Generally with wanted help, generally with out. So will or not it’s together with his son — you’ll get no excuses from me,” he mentioned.
“What we train in our faculties, the supplies used, have to be retaught. I’m not speaking about historical past, I’m speaking concerning the fundamentals, the sciences, sharpening theoretical aptitude and imparting vocational abilities,” he mentioned.
However these assurances ring hole for individuals who suffered below his father’s dictatorship, and others who’re skeptical of the brand new Marcos management.
One indication of that’s by way of e book gross sales.
“Folks have been instantly fearful that literature crucial of the dictatorship can be banned,” Manduriao mentioned. “Therefore, the necessity to purchase and safeguard the books (when) they nonetheless can.”
At the very least 10 titles masking martial regulation and the darkish previous of the Marcos dictatorship stay offered out on the college press, in response to Manduriao.
A few of the bestsellers on the campus bookshop have been in reprint — specifically “Some Are Smarter than Others: The Historical past of Marcos’ Crony Capitalism” by Ricardo Manapat, “The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos” by Primitivo Mijares and “Canal de la Reina” by Liwayway Arceo Bautista.
Within the days that adopted, gross sales went by way of the roof and the pre-order waitlist grew, and the corporate introduced it would take as a lot as eight weeks for orders to be delivered.
The supply was a success with prospects, however it additionally attracted the eye of the federal government.
Alex Paul Monteagudo, director normal of the Nationwide Intelligence Coordinating Company, accused Adarna Home of “radicalizing Filipino kids.”
“The Adarna Publishing Home revealed these books and they’re now on sale to subtly radicalize the Filipino kids in opposition to our authorities, now!” he wrote on his official Fb web page on Might 17.
Monteagudo mentioned within the put up that when subjects corresponding to martial regulation and the Folks Energy revolution — a nationwide rebellion that overthrew the Marcos regime in 1986 — are taught in faculties, it’s going to “plant seeds of hatred and dissent within the minds of those kids.”
Adarna Home declined CNN’s request for touch upon the claims.
Considered one of Adarna’s prospects, Vanessa Louie Cabacungan-Samaniego, who lives and works in Hong Kong, put in a bunch order for round a dozen Filipinos within the metropolis for books on the Marcos dictatorship.
She instructed CNN she worries the election will enable the Marcos political clan to “work to clear their identify and revise historical past books or goal the media.”
“Shopping for books to coach ourselves and the subsequent era is simply our small option to battle in opposition to injustices,” she mentioned, when the primary batch of orders was delivered in June.
Preserving the reality
In recent times, politicians and authorities officers have demonized publishers and journalists, denouncing their credibility on social media and in public statements.
“That is intimidation. These are political ways. We refuse to succumb to them,” she mentioned.
Michael Pante, a historical past professor on the Ateneo de Manila College, mentioned he feared Marcos Jr. would proceed former President Rodrigo Duterte’s marketing campaign to delegitimize the work of historians, teachers and journalists — and doubtlessly transfer to rewrite historical past books.
Reporters With out Borders mentioned that since Duterte’s election in 2016, media have been subjected to verbal and judicial intimidation for work deemed overly crucial of the federal government.
“The demonization of historians, teachers (and journalists) will proceed,” Pante mentioned. “And the dismissive perspective (towards them) might be sufficient to generate concern of talking up and getting arrested or censored.
He fears that if the tales of martial regulation survivors are forgotten, folks might be as soon as once more prone to political violence.
His crew of about 30 folks plus 1,500 college scholar volunteers — most of them are half his age and haven’t lived by way of martial regulation themselves — was chosen to guard the reality for the subsequent era.
“I need to have a part of this digital archive out there to the general public, in a means that (will be) simply accessible, to be despatched to high schools right here within the nation and in addition some associate establishments overseas, in order that the reminiscence and proof won’t ever be misplaced,” he mentioned.
“If there’s one lesson state authorities realized from the martial regulation interval, it is that nobody (has to) go to jail, even when they commit gross human rights violations,” he mentioned.
Robles, the creator, mentioned folks had instructed her they needed to present copies of her books to relations, whereas others needed to stash away a provide in case the brand new authorities bans reprints.
“They mentioned they need to disguise it in order that after the Marcos presidency, then they will deliver it out and hold the reminiscence alive,” she mentioned.
Robles mentioned she is set to maintain writing and critiquing the nation’s political panorama, regardless of fears of censorship — however she admits, “I am not simply afraid of censorship, I am afraid of being arrested.”
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