Enrile challenges critics to a debate; Chel Diokno says 'anytime'

Denying that he was "manufacturing" facts about the Marcos dictatorship and Martial Law era, former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile challenged anyone who disputed his claims to debate him on the matter.

In a second online video called "JPE: A Witness to History" posted on Saturday, Enrile said, "I do not manufacture facts. I have not lied to the people. I have not manipulated events. I dealt with them as I face them."

Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno, founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law and son of the late Senator Jose "Pepe" Diokno, on Monday said he's ready to face Enrile in a debate.

"Anytime po. Sanay naman tayo sa debate dahil abogado rin naman ako eh," Diokno said in an interview on Unang Balita.

"Palagay ko po dapat kainin niya 'yung sarili niyang mga salita dahil sila po ang nagbabaluktot ng kasaysayan natin,' he added.

Diokno said Enrile knew everything that happened during Martial Law.

"'Yung mga pangyayari nu'ng panahon na 'yon, mismong si Enrile alam na alam po naman niya ang nangyari nu'ng Martial Law dahil siya ang Minister of Defense. Siya ang may hawak ng lahat ng political prisoners nu'ng panahon na 'yon," he said.

On Enrile's statement that no one was arrested for his/her political beliefs or for criticizing the government, Diokno had this to say: "Pawang walang katotohanan."

He said his own father was arrested for his political beliefs.

Enrile had been called a liar by victims of the Marcos dictatorship after he claimed that no one was killed during the Martial Law regime, despite records that attest to the arrest and torture of some 70,000 people and the deaths of at least 3,000 others.

The late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' justice secretary and defense minister, Enrile also laughed off the tally of victims that was based on Philippine government records and international human rights organizations.

This was also countered by a number of court rulings and prominent figures in the Philippine human rights advocacy landscape.

Among those who slammed the 94-year-old Enrile was former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who pointed out that Enrile seemed to have "forgotten" about him, and that this forgetfulness was a "part of aging.”

Enrile's claims had also been branded as a "pathetic attempt to rewrite history" by Diokno's family.

Diokno also took exception to Enrile's statement that former President Corazon Aquino did not know anything about being a President.

"Totoo naman na si Cory ay walang experience sa gobyerno. Totoo naman 'yon... But she rain it very cleanly and very honestly," he said.

On Enrile's claims that there were no massacres during Martial Law, Diokno said, "Hindi naman totoo 'yon. Several massacres happened during that time." —Margaret Claire Layug/DVM/KG, GMA News