PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Thursday launched the book “The Aquino Legacy: An Enduring Narrative,” in Makati City that chronicles the Martial Law years, among other things.
The book, written by Elfren Sicangco Cruz and Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, is a collection of historical accounts and commentaries and human-interest essays, and is dedicated to the youth to help them understand the lessons of Martial Law and the struggle to restore democracy.
“The ‘past’ chronicled in the book we are launching today includes events significant to our country’s history: the dark days of Martial Law, for example, as well as the challenges my mother faced in restoring and safeguarding democracy after the Filipino people won the country back from the iron fist of the dictator,” Aquino said.
“Everyone here also knows that there are many different accounts of what happened. Those who were left-leaning at that point in time have documentation of their own struggles. Those who were once part of the regime have also released their version of what took place at the time. Here, we have an alternative account, one that is inextricable from the life of our family.”
Aquino said the book was written with its personal bias or viewpoint based from the title of the book alone.
“All accounts of history are written with the personal biases and views of the authors,” Aquino said.
“What is truly important is the fact that we are adding to the body of knowledge available at this point: we are making sure that no single person is able to dictate history, and consequently, influence the thinking of Filipinos. We are making sure that the whole picture is available as opposed to what can only be called propaganda.”
Aquino said the book is meant to remind the present generations of how millions of Filipinos took a stand against the dictatorship.
“My parents are perhaps the most prominent examples of that,” Aquino said.
“As such, by its very nature, this book will be an intensely personal read. In documenting the events that shaped our nation, so too does it provide a closer look at our family”•at the normal lives we tried to lead in spite of extremely extraordinary circumstances, and at the lessons and principles that continue to guide us to this day.”