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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Sotto: Pinoys will never forget history

Sotto: Pinoys will never forget history

Published Feb 18, 2022 12:35 pm

Vice presidential candidate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Friday, Feb. 18 said the Filipino people would never forget the country’s history as he slammed attempts to tone down the dark period under the 20-year dictatorship of former president Ferdinand Marcos.

Senate President Tito Sotto

“History is history. It has happened, nangyari na (it has happened). Paano mo makakalimutan? (How could you forget?). Gusto mo kalimutan, eh ikaw yun ‘di ba (You want to forget It but you aren’t the one)? Paano mo mabubura eh nangyari na? Iyan ang pananaw ko (How can you erase something that has already happened? That is my view),” Sotto added.

Sotto likewise took exception to the lie being peddled that the lives of the Filipino people were better before the 1986 EDSA Revolution compared to the present time, as he pointed out the widespread human rights abuses and massive corruption during the Marcos era.

He said twisting historical facts could be equated to spreading disinformation.

“Paano mo ire-revise ‘yung history kung nangyari na? (How can you revise history when it already took place?). What you’re essentially doing is disinformation, hindi revising history. You will never be able to revise history,” he said.

The Senate chief recalled the circumstances on how he was able to compose the song “Magkaisa” at the height of the first EDSA Revolution.

Sotto said he wrote the song while watching men in uniform being met by people who have gathered to protest against the Marcos government.

He said he was able to finish the composition in three days or on Feb. 25, the day that forces loyal to the dictator defected, which then forced the former strongman and his family to flee to Hawaii.

“So that inspired me to write the song Magkaisa which I finished in 2 or 3 days. By Feb. 25, there was euphoria all around, kaya noong ibinigay ko ‘yung kanta kay (late) President Cory (Aquino), tuwang-tuwa sila (wheh I gave my song to the late President Cory, they were happy). Si Father Bob Garon was there, he brought to me all the videos that he took of what was happening, pinag-sama namin, binigay namin sa television stations (we collected them together and gave them to the TV stations) that time that were starting to open again,” Sotto recalled.

“You’ll never forget that,” he added.

Related Tags

history Tito Sotto Marcos 21822 dictatorship magkaisa
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