The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines warned the public of the radical distortions in the history of Martial Law and the EDSA People Power Revolution as the nation marked its 36th anniversary on Friday, February 25.
“We are alarmed by this distortion of the truth of history and the attempt to delete or destroy our collective memory through the seeding of lies and false narratives,” the CBCP pastoral letter signed by its president Kalookan Bishop Virgilio David said.
San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza has directed the reading of the pastoral letter, “The Truth Will Set You Free”, in all masses in the Diocese of San Carlos on Sunday, February 27.
He also directed the simultaneous ringing of Church bells at 9:25 p.m. Friday to commemorate the 36th EDSA People Power Anniversary and to call for the “politics of truth, good, just, and peace” to prevail.
The CBCP pastoral letter said the nation commemorates the EDSA People Power Revolution “let us diligently seek the truth that we may do what is right and avoid evil”.
The bishops said as elections are fast approaching, they wish to remind all citizens of their right and duty to use their free vote to further the common good.
They said they are appalled by the blatant and subtle distortion, manipulation, cover-up, repression and abuse of the truth.
There are troll farms which sow the virus of lies, they said.
“This virus paralyzes our capacity to recognize God, respect truth and goodness. Thus, we do not realize that there is a ‘pandemic of lies,’ especially in the social media. This is very serious,” they said.
The peaceful EDSA revolution was not an invention of one person, one party, or one color, it was a triumph of the entire Filipino people, the bishops said.
The bishops said many of them “were witnesses of the injustice and cruelty of Martial Law. And up until now, the human rights abuses, the victims, the corruption, the grave debt and economic downturn of the country due to dictatorship are all well-documented. Again, we did not make these up. These are all written in our history”.
“Let us stand up for truth,” the bishop said, pointing out that “an election or any process that is not based on truth is but a deception and cannot be trusted”.
Disrespect for truth is disrespect for freedom, they said.
“Let us have faith as we persevere in overcoming evil with goodness. May truth unite us all,” they added.
Alminaza, in a Diocese of San Carlos circular, said “the current state of the election campaign in the country calls for prayerful, critical and prudent judgment because truth has been greatly compromised. The distortion of the truth of history, destruction of collective memory and spreading of lies are now on an alarming state.”
“Let us take full advantage of this coming Lenten season to call for our fellow Christians to stand together for the truth, the just, the good. The power of prayer, fasting and almsgiving can never be underestimated at this time in our country’s history,” he said.*