Page 6 - aruba-today-20220915

A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 15 sepTember 2022
Philippine leader says calling his father dictator `wrong’

By JIM GOMEZ tory.”
Associated Press Opponents of the Marcos
MANILA, Philippines (AP) dictatorship had also said
— Philippine President Fer- that violent incidents in the
dinand Marcos Jr. said it’s early 1970s, including the
wrong to describe his late ambush of a convoy sup-
father as a dictator and posedly carrying then de-
that his brutal martial law fense chief Juan Ponce En-
rule in the 1970s was not rile, were staged to provide
meant to prolong his grip the justification for martial
on power comments that law.
were immediately rejected Enrile later broke off from
by human rights activists. Marcos and together with
The namesake son of the other rebellious military and
former president who was police officials backed a
ousted in a 1986 pro-de- massive 1986 “People Pow-
mocracy uprising also de- er” uprising that toppled
nied in a TV interview aired Marcos and drove him and
late Tuesday that he and his family to U.S. exile. The
his family were whitewash- massive protests awed the
ing history. world and became a har-
It was the first time since binger of change in author-
he took office in June that itarian regimes worldwide.
Marcos Jr. has addressed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. smiles after he delivers his first state of the nation address Marcos Jr. denied he and
some of the controversial in Quezon city, Philippines, Monday, July 25, 2022. Associated Press his family were trying to
issues that have hounded revise history but acknowl-
him and his family. A tran- he said in the interview at cree. Marcos Jr. defended “big lie,” which has been edged without elaborating
script of the interview on the Malacanang presi- that decision by repeating discredited by facts. “the problems that hap-
new broadcasting com- dential palace in Manila, his father’s justification that “Marcos Sr. used martial pened, the abuses that
pany ALLTV by TV host and where his father held office martial law was crucial to law to scrap the elections, occurred, like in any war.”
actress Toni Gonzaga, who after rising to the presiden- fight growing Muslim and extend his term, dissolve He said he can prove what
backed Marcos Jr.’s candi- cy in 1965. “A dictator does communist insurgencies. Congress and centralize actually happened, saying
dacy, was released by his not consult. A dictator just “It was necessary to in my power unto himself, mak- “we have video, we have

press secretary. says `this is what you will do, father’s view at the time ing him dictator from 1972 photographs, we have re-
Asked if he has been af- whether you like it or not.’” to declare martial law be- to 1986,” Reyes said. That cords,” but did not go into
fected by media referenc- The elder Marcos placed cause a war was really rag- was not defending gov- detail.
es to him as a dictator’s son, the Philippines under mar- ing already at the time,” he ernment but making gov- The ousted president died
Marcos Jr. replied: “No. It tial law in 1972, a year be- said. ernment “your personal in exile in Hawaii three years
would hurt me if they were fore his term was to expire. Renato Reyes of Bayan, an fiefdom.”Asked why his later without admitting any
right, but they’re wrong.” He padlocked Congress alliance of left-wing groups, father’s basis for declaring wrongdoing, including ac-
“How many times have and newspaper offices, or- said the newly elected martial rule was not widely cusations that he and his
I been here in this room dered the arrest of many president’s defense of the disseminated, Marcos Jr. family amassed an estimat-
where he was in consulta- political opponents and martial law declaration said, “The government fell. ed $5 billion to $10 billion
tion with different groups?” activists and ruled by de- nearly 50 years ago was a So, the victors wrote this his- while he was in power.q

Airstrikes kill 10 in Ethiopia’s Tigray capital, doctor says

By CARA ANNA two people but the second hospital, another doctor mark Ethiopia’s new year, Several airstrikes have hit
Associated Press was deadly, with rescuers said, speaking on condi- the Tigray leadership said Mekele since fighting re-
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — among those killed, Kibrom tion of anonymity because they were ready to par- sumed between Tigray
Two airstrikes hit the capital said. they were not authorized to ticipate in an “immediate” forces and Ethiopian ones
of Ethiopia’s Tigray region The death toll could climb speak publicly. cessation of hostilities with in late August, shattering
Wednesday morning, killing as more patients reach the In a weekend statement to Ethiopian forces leading to a period of relative calm
10 people, many of them a comprehensive cease- since late March.
first responders, the direc- fire, and even welcomed That calm had allowed
tor of the city’s flagship Ay- mediation led by the Af- more humanitarian aid to
der Referral Hospital said, rican Union, a significant reach the long-blockaded
as Ethiopia’s government shift. Tigray region, but those
gave no sign of taking up But Ethiopia’s federal gov- deliveries have now been
the Tigray forces’ offer to ernment is yet to publicly halted, according to the
stop fighting and pursue respond amid reports of United Nations. Deliveries
talks. more talks between the to conflict-affected parts
The target in Mekele “was two sides in Djibouti. of the neighboring Amhara
a residential neighbor- With independent media, region have also stopped.
hood,” Kibrom Gebrese- human rights groups and Since the conflict broke out
lassie told The Associated monitors barred from Ti- in November 2020, tens of
Press. “Three of the victims gray, and with most basic thousands are believed
need urgent major surgery, In this image made from video, medics carry the body of a dead services like internet sev- to have been killed and
in the face of (a) shortage or injured victim of an airstrike in Mekele, capital of the Tigray ered, it is challenging to millions displaced in the
of medicines.” region of northern Ethiopia Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. assess the situation on the Tigray, Amhara and Afar
Associated Press
The first airstrike wounded ground. regions.q