Military turns over declassified martial law documents to CHR, civil society

Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin turns over to committee on human rights chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales declassified military documents on martial law in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011 as House committee on human rights chairperson Rene L. Relampagos, (far left), and National Defense College of the Philippines President General Fermin De Leon, Jr., (far right) watch. MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines turned over declassified documents of the martial law era to the Commission on Human Rights and other civil society groups in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday.
Chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales received the documents in a ceremony commemorating the 39th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by the late president Ferdinand Marcos.
Rosales said these documents would help to “reconcile and develop the healing process” between civil society groups and the military.
The documents will be preserved and made public so they could be studied by schools, legislators and survivors of the Martial Law Era.
Aside from Rosales, also present in the ceremony were Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Bohol Representative Rene Relampagos, House of Representatives chairman on the committee on human rights; Dr. Fermin de Leon, National Defense College of the Philippines president; Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates Chairman Teodoro de Mesa, and AFP deputy chief of staff Major General Anthony Alcantara.

Some of the declassified documents bearing the name of martyred senator Benigno S Aquino Jr. were turned over to Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales in commemoration of the 39th anniversary of the declaration on martial law. MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net

De Leon has expressed appreciation and support for the turnover of the documents which he hoped would reverse the ill political effects of martial law.
Congressman Relampagos said these documents would teach the youngsters, who never experienced Martial Law, to “savor the freedom they now enjoy”.
The National Archives and the National Historical Commission, among others, will help in the preservation of these documents, Rosales said.

DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS. Some of the declassified documents bearing the name of martyred senator Benigno S Aquino Jr. were turned over to Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales in commemoration of the 39^th anniversary of the declaration on martial law. MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net

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