The push to purchase books documenting Marcos’ damaging 21-year reign comes as his son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., assumes workplace after a landslide election victory in Could.
Marcos Jr. has by no means publicly acknowledged or apologized for the human rights abuses, corruption and theft that historians say befell underneath 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,” stated 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 legislation.
“The e book value had practically doubled and but the individuals 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 stated.
The primary trigger for concern got here from the president himself.
“We now have been calling for that for years,” Marco Jr. stated 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 circumstances.
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 obtained it completed. Typically with wanted assist, typically with out. So will it’s together with his son — you’ll get no excuses from me,” he stated.
“What we train in our colleges, the supplies used, should be retaught. I’m not speaking about historical past, I’m speaking concerning the fundamentals, the sciences, sharpening theoretical aptitude and imparting vocational expertise,” he stated.
However these assurances ring hole for individuals who suffered underneath 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.
“Individuals have been instantly fearful that literature important of the dictatorship could be banned,” Manduriao stated. “Therefore, the necessity to purchase and safeguard the books (when) they nonetheless can.”
Not less than 10 titles protecting martial legislation and the darkish previous of the Marcos dictatorship stay bought out on the college press, in line with Manduriao.
A number of the bestsellers on the campus bookshop have been in reprint — particularly “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’d take as a lot as eight weeks for orders to be delivered.
The supply was successful 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 printed 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 Could 17.
Monteagudo stated within the publish that when matters comparable to martial legislation and the Individuals Energy revolution — a nationwide rebellion that overthrew the Marcos regime in 1986 — are taught in colleges, it’ll “plant seeds of hatred and dissent within the minds of those kids.”
Adarna Home declined CNN’s request for touch upon the claims.
Certainly one of Adarna’s prospects, Vanessa Louie Cabacungan-Samaniego, who lives and works in Hong Kong, put in a gaggle order for round a dozen Filipinos within the metropolis for books on the Marcos dictatorship.
She informed 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 strategy to struggle in opposition to injustices,” she stated, 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 stated.
Michael Pante, a historical past professor on the Ateneo de Manila College, stated he feared Marcos Jr. would proceed former President Rodrigo Duterte’s marketing campaign to delegitimize the work of historians, lecturers and journalists — and doubtlessly transfer to rewrite historical past books.
Reporters With out Borders stated that since Duterte’s election in 2016, media have been subjected to verbal and judicial intimidation for work deemed overly important of the federal government.
“The demonization of historians, lecturers (and journalists) will proceed,” Pante stated. “And the dismissive angle (towards them) shall be sufficient to generate concern of talking up and getting arrested or censored.
He fears that if the tales of martial legislation survivors are forgotten, individuals shall be as soon as once more inclined to political violence.
His staff of about 30 individuals plus 1,500 college scholar volunteers — most of them are half his age and haven’t lived by way of martial legislation themselves — was chosen to guard the reality for the subsequent era.
“I wish to have a part of this digital archive obtainable to the general public, in a means that (will be) simply accessible, to be despatched to schools right here within the nation and likewise some companion establishments overseas, in order that the reminiscence and proof won’t ever be misplaced,” he stated.
“If there’s one lesson state authorities discovered from the martial legislation interval, it is that nobody (has to) go to jail, even when they commit gross human rights violations,” he stated.
Robles, the creator, stated individuals had informed her they wished to present copies of her books to family, whereas others wished to stash away a provide in case the brand new authorities bans reprints.
“They stated they wish to conceal it in order that after the Marcos presidency, then they’ll convey it out and preserve the reminiscence alive,” she stated.
Robles stated she is decided 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.”
