A video clip showing the late pastor of the religious group Ang Dating Daan, Bro. Eli Soriano has again made rounds recently in TikTok and Facebook. In the short clip taken from his old “televangelical” show, Soriano tells his audience that only “communists” expressed opposition to Martial Law and that during the Martial Law years, people had “peace of mind.”

CLAIM: 

Only ‘communists’ were against Martial Law, claims resurfaced video of late ‘Ang Dating Daan’ televangelist Eli Soriano

RATING:

FALSE

FACTS:

The main claim in the televangelist’s video is that only “communists” expressed dissent against Martial Law. This unfounded claim can be readily disputed by the sheer number and variety of groups and individuals who joined the EDSA People Power in 1986 that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. From church groups to military factions, the People Power uprising provides a snapshot of how wide discontent against the Marcos administration was at that time.

Instead of “peace of mind” as the late pastor asserted, what was prevalent during the Marcos dictatorship was the “peace of the grave,” as a 1986 editorial of the Philippines Free Press puts it. According to Amnesty International, there were an estimated 107,200 victims of human rights violations who were imprisoned, tortured, and killed during the Marcos administration. One of the tortured victims during Martial Law was Etta Rosales, former Commission on Human Rights chairperson, who Soriano red-tagged in the video.

WHY THIS MATTERS: 

As with past elections, 2022 candidates and parties have been racing to secure endorsements from various religious groups. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son and namesake of the late dictator, has already secured the endorsement of religious groups including Jesus Christ the Deliverer and Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Though Soriano died last February 2021 in Brazil at age 73, resurfacing his video may be a subtle effort to woo votes, as people – especially members of their denomination – trust the words of their leader. According to the 2021 Philippines Trust Index by EON Group, churches remain the most trusted institutions with a 91 percent trust rating. –Maez Estrada and Joseph Gloria

Altermidya Network is part of #FactsFirstPH which brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies. For those interested to join the initiative, email info@factsfirst.ph.