MANILA – Former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile has denied claims that critics of dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. were killed or arrested during martial law years – a claim countered by human rights victims in that period.
In a tete-a-tete between Enrile and Marcos’ son former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Jr., the former claimed that no one was nabbed or slain just for criticizing the late dictator.
Enrile’s claim was described as a “big fat lie” by former Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Loretta Ann Rosales.
“That’s a big, fat lie. Kasinungalingan ‘yan,” said Rosales, who herself was arrested, detained and tortured during the martial law era.
“How can he say that when people he knew were arrested?” Rosales added.
Former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo – also a human rights victim during martial law years – said Enrile’s old age has kept him from remembering scores of people detained, tortured and killed during the period.
“Siya ‘yung main administrator ng martial law. Tumanda na siya at mamamatay siyang sinungaling,” said Ocampo. “Dokumentado ang mga bilang ng mga nakulong, na-torture at pinaslang.”
Recalling his experience, Ocampo added: “Tinalian ako ng isang electric cord. Kahit nakapiring ako parang may nakikitang spark na nararamdaman ko talaga down the line hanggang sa bayag ko, sinunog nipples ko, sex organs, at toe nails ko.”
Enrile – who was the elder Marcos’ secretary of justice and defense minister when martial law was declared in 1972 – also dared critics to name anybody who was killed or jailed during the period tagged as a “dark chapter in Philippine history.”
“Name me one that we executed other than [suspected drug lord] Lim Seng. There was none. Name me one person who was arrested because of political or religious belief. None. Name me one person who was arrested simply because they criticized President Marcos. None,” Enrile said.
Video of the interview titled “JPE: A Witness to History” was posted on the younger Marcos’ Facebook page on Sept. 20, the eve of the 46th commemoration of the declaration of martial law.
Answering Enrile’s dare, former senator Rene Saguisag named former senator Lorenzo Tañada, former vice president Teofisto Guingona Jr., the late senator Joker Arroyo, and Ernie Rondon as among those arrested for protesting against the 1978 Batasan elections.
“It seems to me Ninoy [Aquino], Ka Pepe (the late statesman Jose Diokno), Uncle Jovy Salonga (former Senator Jovito Salonga), and countless others would not have been detained had they not been critical of Marcos,” Saguisag said.
Saguisag also said worse were the fates of Primitivo Mijares (the “disappeared” author of the “Conjugal Dictatorship”); Mijares’ son Boyet who was found “mutilated and very, very dead” in Antipolo; and Archimedes Trajano, whose corpse was discovered after he had questioned then-Kabataang Barangay head and Marcos’ daughter Imee Marcos.
“Being arrested is better than being salvaged or ‘disappeared’,” Saguisag added. (With reports from Adrian Stewart Co and GMA News/PN)
