Fooling the Filipino people

Did you know that as early as the middle ’70s, former president Ferdinand Marcos and his cohorts already considered him a hero together with Imelda Marcos?

This was done when they were included on the list of heroes in books published by the Marcos regime’s education ministry for the subject Araling Panlipunan (social studies). With their pictures, the write-ups about Mr. and Mrs. Marcos were placed alongside the country’s authentic heroes like Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Francisco Balagtas.

Textbook writers from the education ministry’s home office on Arroceros Street and later in Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros (where the Commission on Elections’ office is now located) were reportedly afraid to defy the order to include the Marcoses in the roster of heroes of the Philippines, while others readily agreed to the project to ingratiate themselves to the Palace occupant. That’s only one scheme where Marcos tried to fool the people, especially the students.

But these unprincipled people—especially the writers and peddlers of lies, falsehoods and half-truths—did not succeed in their evil scheme to mislead the people. They later reaped the consequences of their bad intentions.

The judgment was very clear. The Filipino people became fed up with gargantuan cases of corruption, oppression under a tyrannical rule, wanton disregard for human rights, freedom, truth and justice, cruelty to opposition leaders and unimaginable abuses of the dictatorship.

And it happened. Filipinos staged a peaceful four-day revolution which reverberated around the world. On Feb. 22-25, 1986, they ousted the regime which ruled the country for 20 years, 14 years of which was under dictatorial rule.

And the rest was—and is—history. The Filipino people became known and acknowledged by the international community for their contribution to the cause of justice, freedom and democracy. “People power” became a byword and model, especially in Eastern Europe.

What happened to the paid hacks who masqueraded as “writers” of textbooks in the public schools? Many of them became silent and kept a low profile away from public eye. The thick-skinned among them tried to ingratiate themselves to the new administration which replaced the unlamented martial law regime. The cowards sought refuge with the scoundrels.

We won’t be surprised if, after their hiatus, they will surface again and join the present administration.

Pakapalan lang! Nakakahiya!

EUSEBIO S. SAN DIEGO, founder, Kaguro and former president,  Quezon City Public School Teachers Association