Sen. Bam Aquino's message on the 45th anniversary of Martial Law declaration

Forty-five years ago, Martial Law was declared in the Philippines, followed by illegal arrests of political dissidents, perversion of our justice system, and the trampling of our most basic human rights.

We were fed the lie that through violence and intimidation, the Philippines would be peaceful; that by surrendering our freedom, Filipinos would prosper.

Instead, 70,000 were incarcerated, 35,000 were tortured, 3,257 were killed, and over 10 billion U.S. dollars was stolen from the Filipino people.

Today, we recall our dark history and pass lessons learned to the next generation.

Every life is sacred.

Our rights must be respected.

And the best solutions are not borne of violence.

Today and every day, any time these truths are threatened, it is our duty to come together, stand up, and shout... NEVER AGAIN.