The Ateneo Martial Law Museum on Wednesday, Sept. 15, expressed disdain over actress Toni Gonzaga's decision to interview former senator Bongbong Marcos and urged the TV host to invite Martial Law victims and surviving families instead.
In an open letter, the Museum said Gonzaga's interview "benefits no one and pushes back the struggle to gain justice from the atrocities committed by the Marcos regime and against historical revisionism running rampant amongst our people."
It added that the show "contributed to the Marcos family's attempts to whitewash their human rights violations and its proven historical record."
"May we invite you instead to talk to the victims and surviving families of the Martial Law regime? The Ateneo Martial Law Museum stands ready to facilitate your encounter with the victim of Martial Law and with the truth. In fact, we think that hearing their stories and struggles will be much more inspirational for your audience than talking to anyone from the Marcos family," the Museum said.
"These are the stories that celebrities and influencers should strive to popularize and disseminate as they are exemplary models of how we can strive to be a better country for everyone. In the first place, the only reason why we are able to pursue our creative pursuits in a free society today was because of their sacrifices. We owe a lot to those who sacrificed their lives in order to fight for our freedom and democracy."
The Museum also urged celebrities to use their platforms, influence, and privilege in "order to aid the progress of the common good."
The Ateneo Martial Law Museum is a digital museum housed in the School of Social Sciences of the Ateneo de Manila University that is mandated to teach the public about the country's history under the Marcos regime.
Several netizens also called out Gonzaga after her interview with Marcos on her YouTube channel.