ML’s 41st, victims remembered, youth groups light candles

BY PAUL CARSON

In memory of the thousands who were victims of Martial Law and in continuous condemnation of the widespread corruption of the pork barrel system, youth and student groups held a candle-lighting ceremony in Carabao Park in the University of the Philippines – Los Baños (UPLB) campus.

The organizations call for the abolition of the pork barrel system and rechanneling funds to social services, gathering various speakers from youth organizations, including KABATAAN Partylist and Anakbayan.

This was followed by cultural presentations and solidarity messages by organizations which were “created by Martial Law,” including the UPLB Perspective, cultural organizations Umalohokan, Inc., UPLB Writers’ Club, UPLB Development Communicators’ Society, and Kapatirang Plebeians-UPLB Curia.

Umalohokan, Inc. presented a short act symbolizing the struggles of the people from the 1896 Revolution up to modern times.

The speakers claimed that the pork barrel scam, and the various human rights violations and extrajudicial killings reflect a “virtual, undeclared Martial Law.” which allegedly proves that there has been no change in the administrations following Marcos’.

“The struggle continues, and until there is, our fight for genuine freedom and democracy remains,” said Diego Gabriel Torres of Anakbayan, himself a son of a Martial Law survivor. [P]