MANILA – Malacañang on Saturday criticized attempts of quarters loyal to the Marcoses of twisting the truth with regard to the two-decade rule of Ferdinand Marcos, saying facts and figures tell that the Philippines was in bad shape during the Martial Law era.

Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office made a litany of facts and figures which he said best illustrate the dire situation of the Philippines under Marcos.

He added the recent commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the People Power Revolution provided an avenue for a deeper discussion of what happened during the Martial Law period.

''Habang napapansin na natin na may revisionism na sinusubukan ang mga Marcos, nagsisimula at nagiging malalamin at malawak [ang usapin] kung ano ba ang nangyari sa panahon ni Pangulong Marcos,'' Quezon said in a radio interview.

''Dahil dito magkakaroon ng enlightenment at impormasyon sa kabataan."

He said the Aquino government does not aim to sow disunity among Filipinos, but to "fight disinformation with facts."

"Ang tactic ng administration is -- in fact ang tactic ng lahat ng mga taong nakakaalam ng tama at mali -- is to fight disinformation with facts," he said.

Quezon said the 75,730 persons who have filed claims before the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board alone would show the extent of suffering many Filipinos had to go through under the Marcos regime.

Citing various sources, he said that during the Marcos era, about 70,000 people were detained for being enemies of the state, and that 398 disappeared between 1965 and 1986.

He added that between 1976 and 1978, about 34,000 people were tortured emotionally, physically and sexually.

Quezon noted that press freedom also suffered under Marcos, with the government ordering the closure of 7 major English dailies, 3 Filipino dailies, 1 English-Filipino daily, 11 English weekly magazines, 1 Spanish daily, 4 Chinese dailies, 3 business publications, 1 news service, 7 television stations, 66 community papers, and 292 radio stations.

Quezon said the Philippine economy also took a hit during the Marcos era, with the national government debt ballooning from P2.4 billion in 1965 to P192.2 billion by 1985.

He said with the national government debt standing at P395.51 billion at the end of 1986, 58.63 percent of the country's gross domestic product had to be set aside for debt servicing.

Quezon said so far, the Presidential Commission on Good Government has recovered P170.44 billion in ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.

BONGBONG: PNOY SOWING DISUNITY

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the late dictator who is currently the front-runner in the vice-presidential survey, earlier accused President Benigno Aquino III of sowing disunity when he attacked him in a speech during the 30th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.

Quezon, however said the president was merely voicing out the opinion of many people who lived through the Martial Law era.

''Sinabi ng pangulo ang nasa isipan ng mga kababayan nating nasa EDSA na nagmamahal sa diwa ng kapayapaan at kalayaan. The president voiced out the opinion of many of his generation and even the younger generation, or everyone who lived through Martial Law and who were at EDSA,'' Quezon said.

Aquino is the son of the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., a fierce Marcos critic who was shot dead upon his arrival in the Philippines after living in exile in the United States.

In his speech last February 25, Aquino sent a message to today's youth who he believes misunderstand what it was really like to live under the Marcos dictatorship.

''There was once a dictator who gripped on power with his family and cronies in exchange of our country's freedom… To those saying Marcos era was Philippines' 'Golden Age', it was golden age for his cronies and friends. It was also the golden age of Philippine debt,'' the president said.

Aquino also lashed out against the younger Marcos for denying the abuses committed during the dictatorship of his father, saying it indicated the willingness of the son to follow in the footsteps of his father.

READ: Bongbong on Marcos era: What am I to say sorry for?

Aquino warned against putting the Marcoses back in power and risk the return of the horrors of martial law as Senator Marcos vies for the vice presidency.

Quezon said Aquino's tirade against Marcos does not mean to pit the two influential political families together.

''Ang sinasabi natin, katulad ng sinabi ng pangulo, this is not the Aquinos versus the Marcoses. This is about truth versus amnesia,'' he said.

Quezon added the elections will be an opportunity to demonstrate that Filipinos will no longer allow a return to dictatorship.

''Let's consider our candidates wisely. Do we want a president who will lead us to another dictatorship or an uncertain future or do we want to be led by a competent candidate with unquestioned integrity? Once again, our nation’s fate is in our hands,'' he said.