Source: Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity
The Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity is one with the nation in remembering Sept. 21, 1972, a day when an emerging beacon of democracy was shrouded in the shadows of tyranny.
Almost half a century has passed when Ferdinand E. Marcos declared Martial Law. The world witnessed as our nation plunged into the horrors of greed, corruption, and injustice. In this infamous time, billions of the nation’s wealth were plundered; fundamental freedoms were impaired; social institutions were dismantled; and thousands of Filipino lives were lost; all in the name of preserving power.
The people of that day saw their lives change for the worst as their ideals and principles are put to the test. Their eager spirits were awoken to the political ills that dismantled the very institutions they have placed trust in. Fear was cast and everyone took a hit.
Amidst this fear, men and women stood up and frontlined a movement determined to counter the suppression of civil liberties. They stood up against the full political force of the tyrant, and armed with nothing but faith in their principles and a hope for their nation, they braved their way against the terrors of despotic rule. By their sheer will and sacrifice, this country once again saw light and regained its treasured freedom.
The Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity echoes the cries of the victims of the human rights abuses, the woes of those left to deal with the disappearance and death of loved ones, and the quest for justice of those who suffered and died under Martial Law.
The resiliency of the people’s voice that attest to the veracity of these harms must be as enduring as the vow to never let anyone cause them again. As the remnants of the social cancer that gave rise to the despot continue to spread a wave of revisionism, disinformation, and delusion, our outcry for truth should resound as loud as ever. Our memory shall be as sharp as our words. We shout NEVER FORGET. NEVER AGAIN.