Claimants’ group says Enrile’s tale of peace in first years of Martial Law a lie

Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile's claims that there was peace in the first few years of Martial Law was a blatant lie, said a survivor of the hundreds of illegal detentions conducted during one of the darkest periods of Philippine history.

"'Yun 'yung isang malaking kasinungalingan," Zenaida Mique, Claimants 1081 executive director, said Friday in an interview on News To Go.

"Right after declaration, even before the declaration of Martial Law noong September 1972, nagkaroon na ng mga mass arrest ng estudyante at aktibista," she added.

Claimants 1081 was formed in 1994 by victims of abuses during Martial Law who filed a case against the estate of Ferdinand Marcos, Martial Law declarer and late dictator, with the Hawaii Federal District Court.

Mique herself was imprisoned twice during the Marcos dictatorship: once for two months an activist student in 1973, and a second time from 1979 to 1981 as an organizer for fishermen and farmers.

Enrile had a controversial one-on-one interview with former Senator Bongbong Marcos, son of the late dictator, on the eve of theanniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.

In the interview, Enrile claimed, among other things, that only proven communists and criminals were arrested by authorities.

"Hinahakot na yung mga known na sumasama sa rally, kahit simpleng sumasama lang sa rally na nakunan nila ng letrato o pangalan, ay hinuhuli," Mique said.

"'Di lang mga estudyante, pati mga propesor," she added.

Of her arrest in 1979, Mique said, "Kung criminal activity yung pagsama sa protesta nung time na 'yun, masasabi kong guilty ako.

"Pero mali yung sinasabi ni Senator Enrile na walang nahuhuli nung time na 'yun na hindi sa criminal record o sinasabing komunista," Mique said.

Mique, like Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, called Enrile, who served as the chief implementer of Martial Law, a blatant liar for insisting that no one was imprisoned for their political beliefs alone.

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"Alam naman natin na yung political oppositions at the time — Senator Salonga, Senator Tanada, pati sila Attorney Sagisag, sila Joel Lamangan, Ben Cervantes, Ricky Lee, Lino Brocka — lahat ito ay nahuli. Ito ba ay matatawag mo na komunista?" she said.

"Ang naging kasalanan lang namin ay naging vocal kami sa pag-criticize sa government dahil sa lumalalang sitwasyon sa panahon na 'yun," Mique added.

Only 15 percent out of 75,730 claimants had their claims for reparations approved under Republic Act 10368 or the Act Extending the Life of the Human Rights Victims Claims Board.

Survivors of the Martial Law atrocities and their supporters gathered in Manila and other areas on Friday to commemorate the signing of its proclamation on September 21,1972.

Universities such as the Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, and De La Salle University joined with the protests that serve as a reminder of the dictatorship that occurred only 46 years ago. —NB, GMA News