Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) — Scions of Ilocos Norte’s Fariñas clan, which have clashed on and off with the Marcos family, want the birthday of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos to be declared a holiday in the province.
Reps. Ria Christina Fariñas and Rudys Caesar Fariñas I have filed House Bill 4595 to declare September 11th of every year a special non-working holiday in Ilocos Norte.
“For the people of Ilocos Norte, the young and promising Marcos has brought pride to the province and served as inspiration for young leaders to exemplify his leadership and governance administration,” the siblings said in filing the measure.
They said Marcos focused on building infrastructure, roads, hospitals and providing social services during his 20-year term as president. They did not mention that Marcos was overthrown by a popular uprising.
The Fariñases, however, were silent on the thousands of people who suffered abuses under the Marcos regime, as recognized under the Human Rights Victims Reparation Act.
The Marcos regime also saw the country deep in foreign debt. The government resorted to extensive foreign borrowing from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s to fund a number of projects. From $4.1 billion in 1975, external debt ballooned to $24.4 billion in 1982.
The Marcoses cut ties with the Fariñas family in 2015 and their relationship continued to sour through the years.
Rodolfo Fariñas, the family patriarch, led a congressional probe on alleged misuse of Ilocos Norte’s share of tobacco excise taxes and eventually recommended charges against then-Governor Imee Marcos.
The older Fariñas also challenged Imee’s son in the May 2019 polls, only to back out and allow Matthew Marcos Manotoc to run for Ilocos Norte governor unopposed. Rodolfo also backed the senatorial bid of Imee.
Aside from the Fariñases, Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba also filed a similar measure.
The House approved the bill in the 17th Congress, but gathered dust in the Senate.
