Senator Nancy Binay denied reports circulating online that she voted for the bill declaring September 11 as “President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Day” in Ilocos Norte adding that she will not support any bill that “would cause historical revisionism”.
“Contrary to reports circulating online, I did not vote for the approval of House Bill No. 7137 which aims to declare September 11 a special non-working holiday in observance of the ‘President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Day’ in Ilocos Norte.,” Binay said in a statement on Wednesday.
HB 7137, authored by three Ilocano congressmen, including the late dictator’s nephew, Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Angelo Marcos Barba. The other authors are Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Ria Fariñas and Probinsyano Ako Representative Rudys Caesar Fariñas I, children of former Ilocos Norte Representative Rodolfo Fariñas, who once exposed alleged irregularities in the province when Senator Imee Marcos was governor.
Binay said that she had to leave the hybrid hearing of the Senate committee on local government due to a prior commitment, so she was not a part of the hearing when the controversial bill was discussed.
The daughter of former Vice President Jejomar Binay stressed that she did not vote in favor of the bill will she vote for any bill that will distort history.
“I wish to reiterate that I did not vote for the approval of the bill and will not support any bill that would cause historical revisionism,” she said.
Opposition Senator Kiko Pangilinan also wondered why this piece of legislation is being pushed when measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic should be prioritized.
He also reminded his colleagues that the Human Rights Compensation Measure in 2013 to recognize and compensate human rights abuse victims of the Marcos regime.
“Congress in enacting the Human Rights Compensation Measure in 2013 recognized the widespread abuses and atrocities committed by the Marcos regime and apportioned 10 billion pesos as compensation to thousands of its victims taken from proceeds of recovered ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses. The amount of 10 billion pesos was declared as ill-gotten by no less than our Supreme Court. It would be inappropriate to honor a tyrant and a thief,” Pangilinan stressed.
Last September 2, a total of 197 legislators voted to pass the bill setting every September 11 as “President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Day” in Ilocos Norte. Nine voted against it.
Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman, one of the nine congressmen who voted against the bill, said the birth anniversary of the late dictator should not be celebrated.
“The birthday of one who has arrogated and abused power, defiled human rights, and betrayed the people’s trust must not be celebrated by a legislated holiday,” Lagman said.
The first effort to commemorate the birth anniversary of the late dictator was made in 2017, when President Rodrigo Duterte, through Presidential Proclamation 310, declared September 11 as a Special Non-Working Day in Ilocos Norte to mark Marcos’ birth anniversary.
In the proclamation, Duterte said Ilocanos community would be given the opportunity to commemorate Marcos’s “life and contributions to national development as a World War II veteran, distinguished legislator, and former president.”
Before that, on November 18, 2016, Duterte allowed the burial of the remains of the late president at the Libingan ng mga Bayani after the Supreme Court permitted its burial despite strong opposition from critics and human rights groups. Rommel F. Lopez