Bilang pangulo, hindi raw tungkulin ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, Jr. na humingi ng tawad sa nangyaring karahasan noong Martial Law sa ilalim ng administrasyon ng kaniyang ama na si dating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Sr..
“Why have you resisted issuing an apology for the atrocities committed during Martial Law under your father’s rule and will continue doing so as a president?” tanong ng isang mamamahayag kay Marcos sa naganap na Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) forum nitong Lunes, Abril 15.
#BaliTanaw: Ang Pilipinas sa ilalim ng Batas Militar
“Well, I don’t think it is a duty for a president to be involved—that’s a personal matter to the Marcos family,” saad ng Pangulo.
“My role as president is more important right now than my role as a member of the Marcos family so I take that as my first priority,” dagdag pa niya.
Sundot na tanong naman ng mamamahayag, “So will you apologize as president of the Republic in behalf?”
“That seems highly contrived. Who is apologizing to whom?” sagot ni Marcos.
Matatandaang Setyembre 21, 1972 nang lagdaan umano ni dating Pangulong Marcos Sr. ang Proklamasyon Blg. 1081, na nagpapataw ng Batas Militar sa buong Pilipinas.
Sa tala ng Amnesty International na inulat ng Martial Law Museum, tinatayang 107,240 umano ang nabiktima ng human rights violations, kung saan 70,000 indibidwal ang inaresto nang walang warrants of arrests, 34,000 indibidwal ang tinorture, at 3,240 ang pinaslang ng mga pulis at militar.
