A hero’s burial for Marcos is a shameless attempt to rewrite history

Over 200 lawmakers in the Philippine Congress have signed House Resolution 1135. Introduced by Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero III, HR 1135 urges President Benigno Aquino III to allow the burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani (National Heroes’ Cemetery). The essence of the resolution in itself is abhorrent, while the justifications cited in the “whereas” clauses betray either a sheer ignorance of established facts or a shameless attempt to twist history.

Among those who endorsed HR 1135 is former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her sons Mikey and Dato, and brother-in-law Iggy (of Jose Pidal fame). Celebrities-turned-lawmakers Dan Fernandez, Lani Mercado-Revilla, and Lucy Torres-Gomez also backed the said resolution. Naturally, Imelda Marcos signed the move, together with Pangasinan Rep. Kimi Cojuangco (Danding’s daughter-in-law), San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito, and Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar[1]. Ejercito’s father, former President Joseph Estrada, also moved for Marcos’ burial in Libingan ng mga Bayani during his presidency. Meanwhile, Sen. Manny Villar got the Marcoses’ endorsement for his 2010 presidential run.

The resolution commended Marcos for being “a well-decorated soldier, a veteran of World War II, and a survivor of the Bataan Death March.” Official U.S Army records have quelled his tale of leading a guerilla unit named Ang Mga Maharlika as early as late 1940s. One of those who unearthed this damaging fact (as far as Marcos is concerned) is American historian Alfred McCoy from the University of Wisconsin. He detailed his research in the book Closer than Brothers. His findings were reported by New York Times in 1986. The front-page story was released merely two weeks before that year’s snap presidential elections between Marcos and Corazon Aquino. Some excerpts[2]:

“Throughout his political career, Mr. Marcos, now President of the Philippines, has portrayed himself as a heroic guerrilla leader, and the image has been central to his political appeal… Documents that had rested out of public view in United States Government archives for 35 years show that repeated Army investigations found no foundation for Mr. Marcos's claims that he led a guerrilla force called Ang Mga Maharlika in military operations against Japanese forces from 1942 to 1944.”

HR 1135 noted that Marcos “built the modern foundations of the Philippines” as its “longest serving president.” “He was responsible for the construction of vast infrastructure, the utilization of our energy sources, and the strengthening of local governments.” No mention of the fact that these projects (e.g. the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant) were financed by foreign institutions like World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and that the bulk of these were pocketed by who else? In 2004, Transparency International ranked Marcos as the 2^nd most corrupt leader in the world, next only to Indonesia’s Suharto[3]. His loot was pegged at $10 billion. In fact, a government body was created to try to recover the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth.

“It can never be gainsaid that Ferdinand Marcos gave invaluable service to his country as soldier, writer, statesman, President, and commander-in-chief.” The effects of the Marcos dictatorship in many aspects of the Philippine society has been studied extensively the past decades by a wide array of scholars, journalists, political scientists, historians and many others. A cursory view of these would reveal a legacy of failure. I am not a big fan of the current president, I did not even vote for him. However, we cannot just allow this blatant attempt to sugarcoat reality.

On the entrance of the Libingan ng mga Bayani, it is written: "I do not know the dignity of his birth, but I do know the glory of his death." What is glorious in having 3,257 killed, 35,000 tortured, and 70,000 political dissidents incarcerated under your administration[4]?

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[1] ______________. Does your representative approve of Marcos' burial in Libingan? ABS-CBN News Online. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/29/11/does-your-representative-approve-marcos-burial-libingan. Accessed March 29, 2011.

[2] Gerth, Jeff and Brinkley, J. Marcos Wartime Role Discredited in U.S. Files. New York Times Online. http://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/23/world/marcos-s-wartime-role-discredited-in-us-files.html?scp=2&sq=ferdinand+marcos+war+medals&st=nyt

[3] _____________. Suharto tops corruption rankings. BBC News Online.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3567745.stm. Article dated March 25, 2004.

[4] McCoy, Alfred. Dark legacy: Human rights under the Marcos regime. World History Archives. http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/54a/062.html. Accessed April 15, 2011.

Remembering how I looked for a job last year ...

I promised to write about my entire job hunting experience once I finally get hired. I earned my Journalism degree (with honors) from the country’s premiere state university last April 25. Though I never had illusions of getting offers without having to apply, I never expected job hunting to take three months. In fact, I’ve lost count of how many times I passed/emailed my resume to prospective employers. Here are my most memorable moments:

*One Saturday last June, I got a call from a Makati City-based insurance company. The HR lady invited me for an interview the following week. Though I never heard of them before, I tried my luck for the position Assistant Communication Agent. Probably out of naiveté, I wrote P20, 000 as my expected pay. The HR lady asked, “Where did you get this?” She said she’d call after two days. She never did.

*I then sought a reportorial job for a business daily. I assume I passed the written and IQ tests there because the HR lady scheduled me for an interview with their managing editor. On the day of the interview, bad luck prevailed. Instead of dropping me off in E. Rodriguez Avenue (in Quezon City), the jeepney I rode took me to E. Rodriguez High School. I arrived 15 minutes late, and Mr. Managing Editor refused to even see me.

*Why not be an English teacher for Koreans? I applied in two such schools, one in Ortigas and one in Commonwealth. I decided not to pursue it just when I was about to start my training. By this time, the issue on pay has already been discussed to me. Teaching Koreans the very basics of English (similar to how we begin at Grade 1) requires tons of patience. Patience? I don’t know that word.

*Early this month, I applied to be a content writer for a web hosting company. The interview lasted for over an hour. It deviated from the normal question-and-answer scheme of things. The interviewer asked me about my job hunting experience and I told her that “it’s not the easiest experience I’ve had.” Instead of speaking to impress her, I found myself plainly expressing my thoughts. Though I didn’t pursue a full-time job with her company, I appreciated being able to speak out my mind.

Companies stress that “fresh graduates are welcome to apply” but when these job seekers (despite of their academic credentials) are pitted against more experienced applicants, the former isn’t likely to be hired. Both the employers and job hunters are choosy. The question is who can afford to be choosy for a longer time? Throughout my job hunting, I stood by my belief that I should only seek jobs commensurate to what I’ve studied.

Come to think of it, there will always be available positions for everyone. Of all the vacant jobs out there, we can only get one (in mot cases). Somehow, I never stopped believing that all of us have several career options, and we should take the time to study them. Before July ended, I already turned a new page in my life. Last Saturday (August 14), I got my first pay slip.

*Mark Pere Madrona, 20, is currently working as an assistant editor for a Quezon City-based book publishing company. He is currently a Master of Arts in History student in UP Diliman.