Philippine scholars and academics launched on 19 May the online petition, Manifesto in Defense of Historical Truth and Academic Freedom. “We want to bring out a strong statement in defense of historical truth against the unrelenting efforts to revise the historical record of plunder and human rights violations during Martial Law and the entire Marcos era,” said Professor Oscar Campomanes of the Ateneo de Manila University, one of the initiators of the Manifesto.

“We also commit ourselves to defend the exercise of academic freedom, resist all forms of censorship such as book-banning, and oppose all attempts at red-tagging,” Prof. Campomanes added.

The online petition has already gained more than a thousand signatures, from both Filipino and non-Filipino academics, based in the Philippines and abroad.

The Manifesto decried the “disinformation, fabrication, manipulation, deceptive rebranding and propaganda” being done to revise historical facts, “projecting myths about the so-called Golden Age during the regime of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr, and erasure of the numerous human rights violations during the Martial Law period.”

The Manifesto also pledged to “combat all attempts at historical revisionism that distort and falsify history to suit the dynastic interests of the Marcoses and their allies and to fortify their power”.

It called for the launching of activities and initiatives to collect and disseminate historical and collective memories and to disseminate these to the public.

The initiators of the Manifesto also include Dr. Nicole CuUnjieng Aboitiz of University of Cambridge, Prof. Francis Gealogo of Ateneo de Manila University, Dr. Ramon Guillermo of University of the Philippines, Prof. Caroline Hau of Kyoto University, Dr. Jayson Lamchek of Deakin University, Prof. Vina A. Lanzona of University of Hawaii at Manoa, Prof. Carlos Piocos III of De La Salle University and Prof. Lulu Torres Reyes of University of Santo Tomas.