Unlike in the past when it was declared a holiday, Malacañang announced that February 25, 20025 shall be a special working day instead. The reason is obvious. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family have been trying to erase from the Filipino people’s memory the day thousands of Filipinos ousted his dictator father. 

The Marcos clan doubled their efforts at subverting history in the last few years. The dictator was allowed to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, a grave insult to those who died fighting Martial Law.  When Marcos Jr. ran for the presidency, his cyber army utilized Tiktok and other social media platforms in peddling lies such as the Tallano gold, and the so-called golden era of the Philippine economy, among others. 

In 2023, the Department of Education issued a memorandum to change the “Diktadurang Marcos” to “Diktadura” in the grade 6 Araling Panlipunan curriculum. This is a clear attempt to obscure the fact that Marcos Sr. was the one who imposed an iron-fist rule. Martial Law did not happen on its own.

In December 2024, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas released a new series of bank notes, removing the images of Filipino heroes, including opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. and his wife, former President Corazon Aquino.  

The erasures have been systematic. Since Marcos Jr. assumed the presidency, seven ill-gotten wealth cases have been dismissed by the Sandiganbayan. As Martial Law survivor Judy Taguiwalo pointed out, “Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is determined to wield his power to do away with the legal encumbrances to his family’s recovery of all ill-gotten wealth that they amassed during his father’s dictatorship.”

Marcos Jr. has chosen to keep his mouth shut, or lie through his teeth. When pressed by an Australian journalist to comment on the campaign to return the family’s ill-gotten wealth, Marcos Jr. said it’s only propaganda. Several court rulings affirm the existence of billions of ill-gotten wealth.

Such efforts at twisting history should be met with resistance. Resist by exposing the lies, shedding light on the truth, and preserving our collective memory. 

The move by some Catholic schools to suspend classes on February 25 to commemorate the 39th anniversary of People Power 1 is welcome. But remembering should not be fleeting. Remembering should be sustained, deliberate and collaborative. 

Besides, EDSA is about ordinary people taking power into their hands to demand accountability and change. It is the opposite of succumbing to apathy or fear or helplessness. It is believing that together, we can win against tyrants, liars, thieves, murderers, and plunderers.