Charles Teves
Ferdinand Marcos is known as a dictator who stole around $10 billion dollars from the Filipino people, but for some reason, he is still admired and loved by millions.
San Beda Law Graduate School Dean Ranhilio Aquino has had enough of the ‘present generation’ criticizing Marcos and blasted them on Twitter.
Aquino pointed out that the present generation never even experienced a Marcos regime.
“The present generation that is loud in its condemnation of Marcos never experienced Marcos. So that rant is directed at their construct of Marcos. Shouldn’t they be studying Derrida and Lyotard more?” he said on September 11.
The present generation that is loud in its condemnation of Marcos never experienced Marcos. So that rant is directed at their construct of Marcos. Shouldn't they be studying Derrida and Lyotard more?
— Fr. Ranhilio Aquino (@RanhilioAquino) September 11, 2020
Aquino is a priest, but after his tweet, he has now been labeled a propagandist.
Educated Filipinos did not like his criticism, and went after Aquino.
Diane Azores, the 2019 Bar Exams topnotcher, said that the present generation refuse to be influenced by the Marcos narrative depicting him as a legend.
How about being loud in depicting to be a "law expert" but never experienced the Bar Exams? The present generation educated themselves about history and did not let themselves become victims of false revisionism, Father. https://t.co/3HE3rjQDJe
— Diane💗🌸 (@MaeDianeAzores) September 12, 2020
Veteran journalist and alleged arsonist Philip Lustre Jr doesn’t think highly of Aquino.
Fr. Ranhilo Aquino takes great obsession to shock netizens by using big words to convey small ideas. Big words don't make big ideas. This is lost to him. Hence, he is misunderstood. He could not use a declarative sentence to convey those small ideas he has in his limited mind.
— Philip Lustre Jr. (@IpeLustre) September 12, 2020
Another writer, Mia Magdalena, joked saying that the Christians of today also never met Jesus.
Today’s Christians never met Jesus, too, Father. pic.twitter.com/7OMyt9BejY
— Miss Maggie (@MiaMagdalena) September 12, 2020
Why are you loud about Jesus? Did you personally experience him? Or just the construct of him? https://t.co/nq0D8r5K1L
— Tom (@MATom_MD) September 11, 2020
Journalists Ryan Edward Chua, Barnaby Lo, and Kevin Manalo also had to say something.
So what’s the purpose of learning history if we should disregard the mistakes and evils of the past just because we “never experienced” them? Aren’t the testimonies of those who lived through them enough?
— Ryan Chua 蔡曼中 (@ryan_chua) September 11, 2020
Then why are you a priest? You ever met Jesus? pic.twitter.com/p6V02VBT0E
— Barnaby Lo 吳宗鴻 (@barnabychuck) September 11, 2020
Manalo brought up the death of Kian delos Santos, a victim of President Duterte’s war on drugs.
Scary to think that someday this Ranhilo’s narrative might be used to gaslight some human rights violations Filipinos experience now.
So let’s never forget, Kian is not a social construct. He was murdered under the guise of ‘nanlaban’ narrative.
— Kevin Manalo (@kevinmanalo_) September 12, 2020
He finds Aquino’s criticism to be funny.
Just because the present generation ‘never experienced Marcos’ does not mean the atrocities, corruption, killings, human rights abuses, etc. never happened.
Why do we study history then?
— Kevin Manalo (@kevinmanalo_) September 11, 2020
One social media influencer experienced Marcos, and praised the present generation for criticizing tyrants.
I experienced Marcos. I'm loud in my condemnation. And I am proud of this present generation that is pushing back against tyrants while you defend them.
As a man of the cloth you should be asking yourself what Jesus would do: not side with tyrants the way you're doing. https://t.co/59zmMMZI9f
— 🍉Demontitang Aczar mrsunlawyer @Spoutible @mas.to (@mrsunlawyer) September 12, 2020
Assistant Professor Jan R. Go says that historical documents are enough proof to easily label Marcos as someone who represented almost everything the Philippines wasn’t.
In 2019, Spain's long-time dictator Franco was exhumed to "end to the moral insult that the public glorification of a dictator constitutes". Does it mean the people's construct of Franco is faulty? I wouldn't dare.
What I would dare say is that Marcos should be exhumed as well.
— Jan Robert R Go 吴安平 (@WuAnping) September 11, 2020
Sociologist Jayeel Cornelio says there is nothing to dispute since everything that is said about Marcos is true, that he is a dictator, and the biggest thief in the country’s history.
Dictator. Fact.
Martial Law. Fact.
Cronyism. Fact.
Human rights violations. Fact.
Ill-gotten wealth. Fact.
They’re back in power. Fact.What’s there to dispute?
Today’s youth will continue to pay for the excesses of Marcos and his regime. They’re not ranting. They’re fuming. https://t.co/p7oc2FZUW3
— Jayeel Cornelio (@jayeel_cornelio) September 11, 2020
He points out that fake news about Marcos being the greatest president has a lot of holes.
My beef: At a time when there’s a lot of fake news gaining traction about Marcos and his ‘golden era’, statements like that made by academics are not only unscholarly. They are reprehensible and irresponsible.
— Jayeel Cornelio (@jayeel_cornelio) September 11, 2020
Now giving a lecture on social construction? How sophomoric.
And then talk about religion and Aquino? How misleading.
You accused ‘today’s generation’ of ‘ranting’ at a ‘construct of Marcos’. Your fellow academics are holding you accountable. https://t.co/bIgXMTubKY
— Jayeel Cornelio (@jayeel_cornelio) September 12, 2020
Attorney Anjo David also sees holes in Aquino’s criticism, saying that people condemn the Roman empire even without having experienced it.
The present generation never experienced the horrors Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate but we condemn the barbarism of the Roman empire & celebrate His sacrifice when we make the sign of the Cross. Btw, Salvation History is a course in SBU. Should we deconstruct those too? https://t.co/w3rP8L3zlc
— Anjo David (@anjo_david) September 11, 2020
Meanwhile, Gov. Manuel Bamba previously accused Aquino of being a rapist during an appearance on CAyGANDAng Cagayan sa Bombo.
He told the radio host that Aquino should stop turning students he likes into ‘sex slaves.’
https://www.facebook.com/cagayanPIO/videos/1267546143604131/?extid=ei6qN6abYFkeOZgh
