NEWS|NGOs shed light on Martial Law horrors, atrocities in special exhibit

NGOs shed light on Martial Law horrors, atrocities in special exhibit

Roxan D. Resuello

Huge tarpaulins of infographics and stories of martial law victims lined the hallways of PHINMA-University of Pangasinan during the 50th anniversary of the Martial Law declaration on September 21, 2022.

Dagupan People's Council, in partnership with Pangasinan People's Council and #LiwanagMovement spearhead a 2-day Martial Law exhibit titled "BaliKasaysayan Exhibit" to remember the horrors and honor the lost souls of the 70s.

The gallery sheds light on the events leading to the declaration of Martial law. It features information on the methods of torture used by military forces during the regime.

Stories and a brief background of four notable victims were also on display. These brave people include Kalinga Chief and Defender of the Cordillera, Macli-ing Dulag, Senator Ninoy Aquino, student leader Edgar Jopson, and scholar and activist Liliosa Hilao.

Atty. Farah Decano, Dean of Lyceum Northwestern University's College of Law, gave a speech where she shared her experiences during the years of dictatorship. She recalls, "I was still a little kid, but I know what it was."

Urging the students to continue standing up for truth, she states, "Start now. Start now by reading history [and] making sure that history will not suffer from distortion. Make sure that your voice is heard. Do not wait for tomorrow. Work on your future now."

NEVER AGAIN!- Atty. Decano attends BaliKasaysayan Exhibit in PHINMA-UPang campus.

Photo by Denisse Brillante

Also present in the exhibit is Former Governor and Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat, who also gave an insightful message and led the exhibit's cutting of the ribbon with PHINMA-UPang's Chief of Operation Officer, Mr. Albert Gamboa.

On a Facebook post, Baguilat wrote ‘’Na- kakatuwa na maraming mga kabataan ang patuloy na tumitindig para sa katotohanan.’’

‘’Kasama ninyo, we will make sure na ang katotohanan ay maipapasa natin sa susunod pang mga henerasyon.’’ he added.

The BaliKasaysayan Exhibit is also set up at the grounds of the University of Luzon and Dagupan City National High School. As a form of gratitude for these institutions' support, the event organizers open an Essay Writing contest exclusively for Senior High to Post Graduate students of the three participating institutions.

Winners of the contest are set to be announced on November 30, 2022, on the Facebook page of the Pangasinan People's Council.