Cenon Zambrano, a victim of Martial Law in the 1970s, came home to the Philippines from the US to support presidential candidate Leni Robredo.
He was in his 30s when he was arrested and tortured by authorities under then President Ferdinand Marcos’ Martial Law in 1973.
Zambrano was an activist who became involved in the Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan, a youth organization which fought the dictatorship.
“Kasama ako ng mga aktibista sa Muntinlupa hanggang sa Maynila (I was with activists in Muntinlupa up to Manila)," he told Manila Bulletin.
He was arrested in a building in Quiapo where he was tortured by authorities who burned his foot using a flat iron, smashed his face against a wall, and punched and slapped him.
He was transferred to Camp Crame and suffered more torture to force him to admit that he was a courier of a group of communists. He stood his ground and never signed any document. He was jailed for three and a half years in Camp Olivas and then in Bicutan and was released in 1977.
For what happened to him during Martial Law, he was compensated by the government under Republic Act 10368, or “an Act providing for reparation and recognition of victims of human rights violations during the Marcos regime, documentation of said violations, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes.”
Now 82, Zambrano came home to the country last February to support Robredo’s presidential bid, warning against a Philippines under Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Sa pamilyang Marcos walang mabait (There is no one who is kind in the Marcos family),” he said.
He said he admires Robredo because of her qualities as a leader.
“Alam ko na si Leni ay mahusay sa lahat ng bagay na kanyang ginagawa. Sana manalo siya (I know that Leni is great in all things that she does. I hope she wins),” he said. Zambrano cited Robredo’s help including the typhoon victims and the poor.
He warned that if Marcos wins, “walang mangyayaring maganda para sa Pilipinas (no good thing will happen to the Philippines).”