Continue the Legacy of Struggle against the Marcos Dynasty

On September 20th, chapters of Anakbayan across the United States will take to the streets alongside the masses of Filipinos to remember the 50th anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines. It is insulting that his son, Bongbong Marcos Jr., is now in power and will address the international stage at the United Nations General Assembly on this anniversary. Marcos Jr.  will no doubt peddle his bogus solutions to the problems the Filipino people face in recovering from the ongoing pandemic and economic crisis. This comes as the Marcos-Duterte regime works non-stop to erase the bloody history that Marcos Sr. left behind. On the 50th anniversary of Martial Law in the Philippines, we call on Filipino youth to continue the fight by combating the historical revisionism of the Marcos dynasty and by building people power to achieve the genuine desires and needs of the Filipino people.

As youth, we have a duty to learn the true history of what happened during Martial Law under the Marcos regime. It was a history of looting from the Filipino people, impoverishment through anti-people economic policies and debt, countless human rights violations, and other atrocities committed against the people. In combating historical revisionism, we also uplift the decades-long struggle bravely waged by the Filipino masses, in which the youth and students played a massive role. We remember that many ultimately gave their lives to oust the fascist Marcos Sr. regime. We must pay tribute to those who fought for our freedom before we were even born by continuing their fight for true democracy and liberation in our homeland.

Even in Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte's short stints as President and Vice President of the Philippines, it is clear they only want to continue their fathers' anti-people policies. The Marcos-Duterte regime has no intentions to uplift the interests of the youth, as seen in the botched back to school support for students all over the Philippines — with many families unable to receive financial support — along with proposed budget cuts to higher education. Coupled with this is the regime’s rabid desire to implement mandatory ROTC and mandatory military enlistment. Indigenous Lumad youth activists continue to be under attack, with Ismael and Mawing Pangadas still unjustly detained and Sara Duterte’s justifying her forced closure of Lumad schools in Mindanao. This regime’s stance is backed up by the ridiculous proposed 2023 National Budget of Php5.268 trillion ($92 billion), of which the majority of funds are set aside for infrastructure projects, paying off the debt Marcos Sr. and subsequent regimes have created, and increased military support, while social services that the masses of Filipinos need are neglected.

We call on all Filipino youth to be vigilant and to continue the fight that has been raging since Marcos Sr.’s bloody dictatorship. We must combat historical revisionism by uplifting the truth in the people’s history AND by continuing to wage the people’s struggle! Just as young people made the choice to resist against an oppressive regime under Marcos Sr., we youth must now make that same choice to fight for a Philippines that is truly free and democratic.

Never again!
Never forget!
Tuloy ang laban!
Reject Marcos!
Reject Duterte!