In an interview with SMNI News, suspended lawyer and senatorial aspirant Lorenzo ‘Larry’ Gadon has made sweeping claims asserting that the campaign to revise historical records about the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos is not “historical revisionism” but rather “historical correction.”

“”Hindi totoong magkakaroon ng historical revisionism. Minali nila ang history. [It is not true that there’s historical revisionism. They wrote history wrong.] What we are doing now is correcting it,” Gadon said.

CLAIM:

Campaign to revise historical records of late dictator an effort to “correct history”

RATING:

FALSE

FACTS:

Spanish historian Giovanni Cattini explains that “revisionism is commonly associated with the manipulation of certain historical events for political ends.” While historians often revisit historical accounts to check and correct erroneous details, especially when substantial proof and evidence come to light, the claims that senatorial aspirant Gadon were defending fall into Cattini’s definition of historical revisionism, as claims such as Martial Law being the “golden years” of the Philippines are unfounded and are now being used for political purposes.

Several fact-check reports have already disputed the “Martial Law as golden years” claim. An article published by independent think tank IBON Foundation even argued that the 20-year Marcos administration can in no way be called the ‘golden era’ of the Philippines. “The Marcos administration was notorious for world-beating cronyism and corruption,” IBON explained.

WHY THIS MATTERS:

This is not the first time that Gadon has engaged in releasing disinformation. Even the Department of Health has previously called out the suspended lawyer for releasing false face mask claims.

The SMNI video currently has over 1,500 reactions and 8,900 views on Facebook.–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.

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