History Comes Alive! w/ Prof. Ambeth Ocampo: FAKE NEWS

Summary

This script delves into the complexities of discerning truth from 'fake news' and historical revisionism, using the Philippines' national hero Jose Rizal as a focal point. It challenges the authenticity of widely accepted historical anecdotes and quotes, highlighting the ease with which misinformation can permeate society. The speaker urges a critical examination of history and the media, advocating for a relentless pursuit of truth to inform our understanding of the past and guide our future.

Takeaways

• 📚 Rizal's famous quote about history is often misattributed, but the correct quote is 'Con el recuerdo del pasado, entro en el porvenir', emphasizing the importance of remembering the past for the future.
• 🌐 The modern information overload from social media and the internet makes discerning truth from 'fake news' a challenge, similar to how historical facts were once verified by research and institutions.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Fake news or history should be evaluated based on its intention, whether it's for fun, ignorance, or deliberate misinformation.
• 🖼️ Misleading images, like a photoshopped picture of a famous person, can spread misinformation, especially when they appear to be from credible sources like the U.S. Library of Congress.
• 🎨 The story of Rizal losing his slipper is a moral tale, illustrating that not all stories about historical figures are factual but can still carry important lessons.
• 🍫 The origin of 'champorado' attributed to Rizal is likely a fiction, showing how myths can be created and perpetuated even in educational materials.
• 📜 The authenticity of Rizal's works, such as 'Sa'akhinka Babata', is questionable due to lack of original manuscripts and inconsistencies with known facts about his life.
• 🤔 The study of history should encourage critical thinking, questioning even well-known 'facts' to separate truth from falsehood.
• 🎭 Urban legends about figures like Rizal persist, including false claims about him being related to Adolf Hitler, showing how easily misinformation can blend with historical narratives.
• 👥 Personal biases and political motivations can distort historical records, as seen with the false stories created to discredit Apolinario Mabini.
• 📝 The importance of accurate historical records is highlighted by the inconsistencies in Ferdinand Marcos's accounts of his own life and the events surrounding Martial Law.

Q & A

What is the often-quoted line from Rizal that the speaker mentions is actually not by Rizal?

The line 'He who does not know where he came from, will not reach his destination' is often attributed to Rizal, but the speaker clarifies that it isn't actually by Rizal.

What is the correct quote from Rizal that the speaker mentions?

The correct quote from Rizal mentioned by the speaker is 'Con el recuerdo del pasado, entro en el porvenir' which translates to 'I enter the future with a memory of the past'.

Why is it important to carry a memory of the past into the future according to the speaker?

It is important to carry a memory of the past into the future because it helps us evaluate what we now call 'fake news' and discern the truth from misinformation.

What does the speaker suggest is the intention behind fake news or fake history?

The intention behind fake news or fake history can vary; it can be for fun, due to ignorance, or as a deliberate act of misinformation.

Why is the photograph of Rizal in masonic garb considered to be incorrect?

The photograph of Rizal in masonic garb is considered incorrect because it is actually the head of Manny Pacquiao photoshopped onto Abraham Lincoln's body, as confirmed by the speaker.

What is the moral lesson behind the story of Rizal losing his slippers?

The story of Rizal losing his slippers is a made-up tale meant to teach children the moral lesson of altruism and thinking of others' needs.

What is the origin of the meal 'Champorado' as mentioned in the script?

The origin of 'Champorado' is actually Mexican, not Filipino, despite the story in the script suggesting that Rizal invented it by mixing chocolate and rice.

What is the significance of the poem 'Sa'akhinka, Babata' in the context of the script?

The poem 'Sa'akhinka, Babata' is significant because it is often quoted as Rizal's work, but the speaker questions its authenticity due to the lack of an original manuscript and inconsistencies with Rizal's known history and writings.

Why does the speaker believe that history should teach us more than just memorization of facts?

History should teach us to be critical and question even the things we think are real, helping us to separate truth from falsehood and fact from opinion.

What urban legend is mentioned in the script about Rizal being the father of Adolf Hitler?

The urban legend that Rizal is the father of Adolf Hitler is based on a faint connection that Rizal was in Vienna around the time Hitler's mother worked at the same hotel, but the speaker debunks this by pointing out the timeline and Rizal's actual location.

How does the speaker describe the impact of fake news on historical figures like Rizal and Mabini?

The speaker describes the impact of fake news as distorting the truth and creating false narratives around historical figures, which can lead to misconceptions and urban legends that are difficult to correct.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Importance of Historical Memory and Fact-Checking

This paragraph discusses the significance of remembering history and the challenge of discerning truth in the era of social media and information overload. It highlights the issue of fake news and its impact on truth, contrasting it with the role of institutions like the press and academia in correcting misinformation. The speaker uses examples such as a manipulated image of a historical figure and a fabricated story about Rizal to illustrate the persistence of false narratives and the importance of critical thinking in evaluating information.

05:01

🗺️ Debunking Myths and Legends About National Heroes

The speaker delves into the myths and legends surrounding national heroes, particularly focusing on Jose Rizal. They address the inaccuracies in commonly believed stories, such as Rizal's supposed invention of champorado and the dubious authenticity of his first poem 'Sa'akay Kababata'. The paragraph emphasizes the need for critical examination of historical narratives and the importance of distinguishing fact from opinion, especially when it comes to the stories that shape national identity and patriotism.

10:04

🎭 The Fabrication of History and Its Consequences

This paragraph explores the concept of 'fake history' and its creation for various reasons, including political motivations and the desire to fill gaps in historical knowledge. The speaker introduces Jose E. Marco, a notorious fabricator of historical documents, and discusses the impact of his creations on Philippine historiography. The paragraph also touches on the urban legends associated with Rizal, such as being the father of Adolf Hitler or a suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders, highlighting the absurdity and the need for skepticism when encountering extraordinary claims.

15:05

🦠 The Political Manipulation of Historical Figures

The speaker examines how politics can distort historical narratives, using the example of Apolinario Mabini's misrepresented condition due to polio being falsely attributed to syphilis. The paragraph discusses the role of political adversaries in spreading misinformation to discredit public figures and the lasting impact of such falsehoods on public perception. It underscores the importance of questioning and verifying the stories that are passed down through generations.

20:05

🏛️ The Impact of Political Propaganda on History

This paragraph discusses the influence of political propaganda on historical accounts, particularly focusing on the case of Elpidio Quirino and the myth of the golden orinola. The speaker reflects on how political campaigns can create and perpetuate false narratives for strategic purposes, and how these narratives can become ingrained in the public consciousness, even when they are later debunked.

25:06

📜 The Complexity of Historical Truth and Revisionism

The final paragraph addresses the complexities of historical truth and the practice of historical revisionism. The speaker uses the example of Ferdinand Marcos's inconsistent accounts of his own life and the declaration of martial law to illustrate the challenges in discerning the truth from personal narratives. The paragraph concludes with a call for a relentless pursuit of truth in history and a caution against allowing fake news to become enshrined as historical fact.

Keywords

💡Fake News

Fake News refers to false information or propaganda published under the guise of being authentic news. In the video, it is discussed as a contemporary issue but also as something that has historical roots. The speaker uses the term to highlight the importance of discerning truth from falsehood in both current events and historical accounts, such as the urban legends surrounding Jose Rizal.

💡Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal is a national hero of the Philippines, known for his role in the Philippine revolution against Spanish colonial rule. The video discusses various myths and misconceptions about Rizal, emphasizing the need to separate historical facts from fiction. Examples include the fabricated story of Rizal losing his slipper and the false claims about him being the father of Adolf Hitler.

💡Urban Legends

Urban Legends are popular stories or pieces of lore that are widely circulated as true, despite being false. The script uses urban legends related to Rizal, such as him being the father of Adolf Hitler or Jack the Ripper, to illustrate how easily misinformation can spread and become accepted as fact without critical examination.

💡Historical Revisionism

Historical Revisionism is the reinterpretation of historical events or figures, often with the intent of presenting a different perspective or correcting past misconceptions. The video discusses this concept in the context of reevaluating the Marcos period in Philippine history, emphasizing the importance of basing revisionism on truth rather than falsehood.

💡Misinformation

Misinformation is information that is incorrect or misleading. The video addresses the issue of deliberate misinformation, such as the false stories about Rizal and Mabini, and how it can distort historical understanding and public perception.

💡Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment. The speaker in the video emphasizes the importance of critical thinking in discerning truth from fake news and historical inaccuracies, as well as in evaluating the authenticity of historical accounts and documents.

💡Patriotism

Patriotism is the love for and devotion to one's country. The video discusses how historical figures like Rizal are often associated with nationalism and patriotism, but also how these sentiments can be manipulated through the spread of fake news or the creation of 'necessary fictions' to inspire national pride.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity refers to the quality of being genuine or true. The script discusses the importance of authenticity in historical artifacts and documents, using examples such as the fake photograph of Rizal in masonic garb and the forged poem 'Sa'akay Kababata' to highlight the consequences of accepting inauthentic materials as true.

💡Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos was a former President of the Philippines, known for declaring martial law and his controversial presidency. The video references Marcos's manipulation of historical narratives, including his own diary entries and the alleged staging of an assassination attempt to justify martial law.

💡Misinterpretation

Misinterpretation is the act of understanding something incorrectly. The video script mentions misinterpretations in historical accounts, such as the story of Rizal and his slipper, which was created to teach a moral lesson but is not factually accurate, and how such misinterpretations can become ingrained in popular belief.

💡Truth

Truth refers to the state or quality of being in accordance with fact or reality. The overarching theme of the video is the search for truth amidst the proliferation of fake news and historical inaccuracies. The speaker encourages the audience to critically evaluate information and seek the truth in both contemporary and historical contexts.

Highlights

Misquotation of Rizal's words emphasizes the importance of accurate historical knowledge.

Rizal's actual quote 'Con el recuerdo del pasado entro en el porvenir' stresses the value of learning from the past.

The modern challenge of discerning truth amidst an overload of information from social media and the internet.

The enduring issue of 'fake news' and its historical context, showing it is not a new phenomenon.

The role of intention in the creation of fake news or fake history and its implications.

Misleading images of Jose Rizal found online, illustrating the problem of misinformation.

The humorous Photoshopped image of Manny Pacquiao mistaken for Rizal, demonstrating the gullibility of some.

The fabricated story of Rizal's lost slipper, used as a moral lesson despite its inaccuracy.

Debunking the myth of Rizal inventing 'champorado', highlighting the mix of fact and fiction in historical narratives.

The lack of evidence supporting the authenticity of Rizal's poem 'Sa'akhinka, Babata'.

The critical importance of questioning and verifying historical facts to separate truth from falsehood.

The controversy surrounding the authenticity of the photograph of Rizal's execution.

Urban legends about Rizal, including the false claim that he is Adolf Hitler's father.

The debunking of the urban legend linking Rizal to Jack the Ripper murders based on his presence in London.

The impact of politics on historical revisionism and the distortion of figures like Apolinario Mabini.

The story of how political enemies discredited Mabini by falsely attributing his paralysis to syphilis.

The role of fake news in shaping public opinion and its potential to distort historical truth.

The example of Elpidio Quirino's impeachment and the myth of the golden 'orinola'.

The persistence of myths about Juan Ponce Enrile's immortality and their reflection in social media.

The conflicting narratives surrounding the justification for Marcos's declaration of martial law.

Ferdinand Marcos's manipulation of his own historical narrative, including his birth date.

The necessity of historical revisionism based on truth and the search for accuracy in history and news.

Transcripts

[Applause]

[Music]

he who does not know where he came from

will not reach his destination

this is an often quoted line from rizal

which isn't by resale at all

and if we are to really look for

something that he said about history the

nicest thing he wrote is con el recuerdo

del pasado entro en el por venir in

english it's i enter the future with a

memory of the past

this

is a quote that we should remember in

the days when social media the internet

and google has flooded us with so much

information that we cannot possibly

humanly

digest

all of it

so we have to learn

to move into the future carrying a

memory of the past because it is that

that will help us

in looking at and evaluating what we now

call fake news

fake news is not new

we've had it a long time

but in the past fake news was easily

or

regularly corrected by research

or

by institutions like the press or the

academe

what we are seeing today is an assault

on truth

fake news or fake history has to be seen

always in terms of its intention

is it made for fun

is it made because of ignorance or is it

deliberate misinformation

if you google jose result today and

check

the

images part you will get a whole range

of results

picture results mug shot and it usually

comes from a photograph his favorite

photograph taken in 1890 however

there is a photograph of result in

masonic garb and because it came from

the u.s library of congress people

believe it to be true but all you have

to do is to look at the photograph of

this man in masonic attire and compare

it with result to see that these are two

different people so something is wrong

somewhere

many years ago

i received a query

asking me to confirm whether this long

lost photograph of result

was actually results and when i looked

at it it was actually the head of mani

pacquiao photoshopped on abraham

lincoln's body

this was a

made-up picture that made the rounds and

it was made for fun but some people

want to believe what they want to

believe want to see what they want to

see and actually believe that this

photoshop picture of pacquiao is

actually resolved

[Music]

when i was a boy i learned that rizal

had lost one of his slippers while he

was playing near a river

[Music]

and when he went home barefoot of course

his parents asked him what happened to

your slippers and risale is supposed to

have said i lost one slipper and since

this is useless to me i threw in the

other one because there might be a

little boy downstream who will find the

pair and it will be useful to him if i'm

the little boy downstream and i'm

playing

and i see one slipper float by i won't

pick it up and wait for the next slipper

to come right it is a story that is made

up because it is meant to teach us

a moral story it is meant as a lesson

for children to learn

so it is not exactly true but its

intention is good with result we have a

mixture of fact

fancy and what caroline how

the literary scholar calls necessary

fictions

in a 1950

public school textbook i saw a story

that claimed that result was the

inventor of champurrado rizal was eating

one

morning and he accidentally tipped over

a cup of chocolate that spilled over his

plate with rice and so one of his

sisters said you know you're a clumsy

little boy why did you do that and

result is supposed to have said no i did

that on purpose because if you mix

chocolate and rice you get champorado if

you actually look at the origin of

champorado champurade is not a

philippine meal it's actually a mexican

meal so we have a meal that sounds the

same but it's not like the real mexican

champorado and we have our national hero

inventing something which he did not

so this is the type of thing that we get

that we have a result we're supposed to

teach us

nationalism patriotism and all the good

things which we are not

of the two quotes that i

have found

one is the quote about history and the

second is the quote about language which

we hear every year in august during

buanawika and this is the most quoted

line from jose sal it says

it came from a poem called sa'akhinka

babata which was supposedly written when

resal was eight years old i found out

that unlike most of the things that i

know about resal sa'akan kababata does

not have

or is not supported by an original

manuscript it was published posthumously

in a book on florente laura by a man

named hermine hildo cruz it's in an

appendix

and it just says this is results first

poem it was given to one of his

childhood playmates and i checked the

name of the childhood playmate it does

not match up with any of the

documentation that i know of result

wrote mostly in spanish

and there are only two poems of rissal

in tagalog both of them are questionable

when you look at in kababata you ask

yourself

how could an eight-year-old boy in

calamba

compare tagalog with latin

in spanish and greek

how can an eight-year-old boy

in calamba talk about freedom

which he uses

twice in the poem the word kalayaan

when i checked

true results correspondence i found out

that the first time rizal had ever heard

the word kalayaan freedom was in 1882 he

was already 21 years old in a poem that

marcelo del pilar

was translating

results also mentions in his writings

that

when he was translating william tell

from german into tagalog he was stumped

by the word fry height which in german

means freedom

this was 1886 and rizal could not find

the tagalog equivalent of fry height

and so how can result forget a word that

he used twice in an 1869

poem

so what we

is know

result did not write sakin kabata

when we talk history when we study

about jose rizal and our heroes we are

taught to remember to memorize facts to

remember

who what when where

how

but more importantly history should

teach us that it is more than

memorization it is more than data

history teaches us to be critical

to question even the things that we

think to be real and that helps us to

separate the truth from the false

and fact from opinion we have a

photograph of jose results execution in

the lunetta

on december 30 1896

and it is a photograph where result is

standing shortly before he shot

that is the only picture we have

although over the years some other

pictures have come out including one

that actually shows the valley of fire

and result falling dead

because of this people have started to

doubt even the authentic picture so what

happens here is we don't know what to

believe and we end up believing what we

want to believe

so with result for example we have other

things there are urban legends that

persist

one of them and the most popular

is that rizal is supposed to be the

father of adolf hitler

[Music]

in 1913 results friend maximoviola wrote

a memoir called miss viajes connell dr

rizal for my travels with dr rizal

in may of 1887 viola and rizal were in

vienna

and they stayed in the hotel metropol we

actually have a photograph of the

receipt of the hotel that gives us the

room numbers they stayed in

hitler's mother clara polz is supposed

to have worked in the hotel metropole in

vienna and it is this very

faint connection that is the root of the

urban legend that rizal is the father of

adolf hitler

all you have to do is to look up

hitler's birthday which is april 20 1889

and you will actually find out that

rizal was nowhere near austria or vienna

in 1889 he was actually in london

in the british library doing his

research on the pre-spanish philippines

this was also quite funny because when i

dug it up i didn't realize that adolf

hitler's real name was alloy

schickelgruber

a name that sounds very funny to us and

it gives you the

sense of how powerful a name can be

because you cannot shout heil shekel

gruber doesn't sound very nice but adolf

hitler has a very strong ring to it

oserisal was in london

so he's not adolf hitler's

father

but this led to another urban legend

jose rizal actually moved to paris in

1889

in order to print

the successors de las eslas filipinas

now

at the time that result was in london

doing research in the british library

chuck the ripper birders occurred

and as we know jack the ripper was never

caught

but he killed with a sharp instrument

that suggested that a he had medical

training that's result or b he killed

with the scalpel that's result again

now

the important part to remember here is

that rizal is in london at the time the

murders occur and when he moves to paris

the murders stop

now if you open the jack the ripper

website it has a long list of suspects

and you will be surprised to find that

jose rizal is one of the suspects in the

jack the ripper murders

and i remember one of my undergraduate

students once told me when i said this

in class he said you know sir

everyone else has missed out on the

biggest clue of all and i said what's

the biggest clue and he says

jr

jack the ripper and jose rizal shared

the same initials

normally i would laugh but i'd like to

think that this is a student who's

thinking he's just trying to be funny

but in many ways i learned a lot more

from my students that they learn from me

and i'd like to think that even when

they're making fun their mind is working

their mind is

thinking their mind is thinking

critically which is what we are all

talking about today

jose rizal

is one of the people that has inspired

many urban legends but there is another

jose who we have to remember

his name is jose e marco he was a man

who peddled historical manuscripts and

from 1918 till the day that he died for

almost half a century mr marco was able

to sell or donate to the national

library of the philippines and many

scholars things that he had created and

two of his greatest creations were the

code of kalanchao which is believed to

be the earliest pre-spanish law

and the other one is a novel called la

loba negra supposedly by father burgos

jose marco

is somebody that historians hate but i

long wanted to study him and probably to

write a monograph about him

because here was a man who was writing

history from the top of his head he

messed up philippine historiography but

this is a man

who i don't know what his real motives

are

but i'd like to think that maybe if we

had asked him why he did this aside from

making money he would probably say you

know before the war you wanted

proof of pre-spanish filipino

civilization you had none so i created

the code of kalanchow for you in the

1950s you wanted a hero who might be

better than jose rizal so i

gave you father burgos and he created

over 50 fake works of burgos so in a

sense this is a man

who can probably look me in the eye and

say

you wanted things that you could not

find in your history so i created it for

you and so if you want to be filipino

and you want to be nationalistic then

you believe

what i'm telling you to believe

fake history also gets

into the picture because of politics

and a good example would be apolinario

mabini

who is best remembered under the title

the sublime paralytic i know what a

paralytic is but i don't quite know how

it matches with sublime

and although i knew this phrase

growing up it was only years later when

i was

attending meetings with a friend at the

historical commission

and the two senior members of the

commission

aguilar cruz who was our ambassador to

unesco and the historian teodoro

agoncillio during a break went out and

looked at the statue of mabini in front

of the national library and someone said

it's the sublime

paralytic and the other one said from

the sublime to the cephelite and they

both started laughing

after they laughed i asked them why why

did you say this and they sort of

whispered conspiratorially and said do

you know that mabini's paralysis was

caused by syphilis

and i kept this in the back of my mind

to use at some future time except that

in 1980 i found out that mabini's

remains were exhumed

his

his bones were arranged like a jigsaw

puzzle and they were studied x-rayed

measured and the conclusion by an

orthopedic surgeon was that mabini's

paralysis was actually caused by polio

there was no syphilis involved

now

i

mentioned this one day to

national artist f chonil jose

who wrote

part of his rosales trilogy or his

book on

generations one of the volumes is called

porn and in that volume mabini is

referenced and mabini lost the use of

his legs because of syphilis and so i

told frankie jose you know the syphilis

story

is not true because we have the the

latest medical opinion that says it was

polio but i didn't stop there i started

to trace where the story came from and i

found out

that apolinario mabini was emilio

aguinaldo's closest advisor

he was the person for whom all papers

to the president and out would pass so

he was powerful and yet he was hated and

so people who hated him especially in

the malolos congress created the

syphilis story in order to discredit him

and probably to force him to resign

so when you think about it it sounds

very contemporary the whole idea of

creating fake news so that you can get

someone out of the way or tarnish

someone's reputation this has happened

to none other than the polinario mabini

people talk freely throughout the length

and wealth of this library republic

against public divisions

against government institutions

against anybody

on any subject

politics has a way of distorting not

only the present but also our history

i saw a very small article in the

chicago tribune that talked about the

impeachment of el pidio querino

quirino was the first president to

undergo an impeachment hearing

and in this time kirino was

charged with all sorts of things

the most serious of which

in the public opinion was that he was

extravagant and he wasted people's money

much of it in the renovation of

malacanang

and he is supposed to have bought a 5

000 peso bed an amount that seems

nothing to us today but was a great deal

in those times and we actually have a

photograph of kerino bringing the press

inside his bedroom to show people the

bed that supposedly cost 5 000 pesos to

cut the long story short the impeachment

did not

flourish

and kirino was acquitted

but in 1953 when he ran for re-election

the charges from the impeachment hearing

came out again and they created

a new bit of news and it was that kirino

spent a lot to have a golden orinola or

a piss pot under his bed which is quite

funny because they had modern plumbing

in the toilet why would he need

a gold orinola but in that election

that golden arenola became a symbol of

everything that was corrupt and wrong

about the kirin administration and even

if it was not true

kirino

was remembered at that time for a golden

orinola that did not exist

on social media you will find many memes

about juan ponce and riley and how

immortal he is on my facebook feed once

i saw

advertised a one ponce andrea

immortality seminar and really has been

with us for a long time even when i was

a boy he was already part of marcos and

martial law

and you go back to history and you see

that one of the justifications for

martial law was that they shot up or

they ambushed and relay in wa

in september of 1972

when marcos heard about the ambush and

really

survived he said that this made the

proclamation of martial law a necessity

as of the 21st

of this month

i signed

proclamation number 1081 placing entire

philippines under martial law

in ferdinand marcos's diary we actually

see marcos writing about the

the assassination attempt and this being

one of the reasons why he was forced to

declare martial law now

in 1986 after marcos was

exiled to the united states juan ponce

enrique

is supposed to have said that the

assassination attempt was staged the

ambush was the states

i said but i did not say who is stage it

i did not say that i stayed so the

correct word was staged yes

and it was staged so that they would

have an excuse to declare martial law

that became part of our history from 86

but many years later when andrea

published his memoirs he recounted his

1986 statement and said

marcelo's already going on

why should i take my ambush

to justify myself when it was already on

a irreversible day so when you look at

it this is one historical figure telling

us two different versions of the same

event so our question is which side do

we want to believe and why

marcos is

one president who had a fine sense of

history or his place in history and i

have been working for a number of years

on

putting together the handwritten diary

that he wrote over many years in order

for us to understand the events but when

i looked at the diary and sometimes i

look at his speeches some things don't

quite match

in

1972 he actually gave a speech

to the philippine historical association

and some of the members of this

association were his professors in the

university of the philippines and in

this speech he actually declared i will

tell you about the particulars of the

declaration of martial law

in our history books the declaration of

martial law is always given as september

21 1972

but everyone knows that the martial

decree was actually implemented on the

23rd

the document

was dated september 21 simply because

marcos was superstitious about numbers

and he liked things that had a number

seven or in multiples of seven so he

told the philippine historical

association that

i actually had two copies of the martial

law declaration made and one copy i

signed on september 17 but i dated it

september 21 so you have a 17 and you

have a 21 and he kept this document

according to him i kept the document

because i was waiting for a sign from

god to tell me whether i should proceed

or not so in this speech marcos says and

it is actually

typed out and transcribed and he says

that even before the ambush of secretary

ponce and riley i had already ordered

the enforcement of the proclamation

long before that i had decided to

proclaim

martial law so when you see it we have a

historical document we have marcos

saying different things

marcos because of his sense of history

even corrected his birthday he was

supposed to have been born on september

11 1917

so in 2017 the 100th anniversary of

marcus's death

there was a philippine postage stamp

that commemorated his 100th birthday but

then a document came out from the civil

registrar of sarat his birthplace where

according to the records he was actually

born in 1916

uh and not 1917. and i have asked

demarco says to confirm or deny this

document and there has been no record

but it shows you that if a man is

willing to

fake or alter even his own birthday

maybe he is somebody that we cannot

trust and it is a history that he has

written that might be

more problematic than truth

dealing with fake news is like dealing

with history

you have to look at the past you have to

validate it you have to check it and

make sure that it is accurate or even if

it's accurate to see that our

interpretation or our the values that we

put into it the colors we put into it

are accurate and true

fake news

becomes history after a while and i'd

like to think that fake news should not

move into history which becomes

permanent

today we talk about historical

revisionism especially in terms of the

marcos period when we talk about resale

or mabini or people 100 years ago it

does not really

change things it's just a matter of

giving truth or using truth in order to

validate something in the past

but what complicates our life today with

fake news is that even the term that we

use historical revisionism it is

historical revisionism to paint the

marcos period as the greatest happiest

most economically sound part of

philippine history and yet they call it

historical revisionism historical

revisionism should be based on truth

historical revisionism means that you

correct something that is wrong you

correct something that is false and you

cannot revise something

to make it false

and so history and fake news teaches us

to always search for truth because it is

only in truth that we will find

ourselves and we will find our future

[Music]

you