MANILA — The director of “Maid in Malacañang,” about the last 72 hours of the Marcos family in the Palace in 1986, has addressed victims of Martial Law amid backlash to the film’s portrayal of historical events.

Darryl Yap addressed survivors of human rights abuses during the Marcos dictatorship, in an interview with Boy Abunda released on Thursday.

While the film aims to “humanize” the Marcos family by depicting their “side of history,” Yap said that “Maid in Malacañang” does not discredit the experiences of victims of Martial Law.

“Walang dapat ipag-alala ang mga nasaktan noong panahon na ‘yun, sapagkat hindi ko naman sinabing walang nasaktan noong panahon na ‘yun. Hindi ko sinabing walang naabuso, walang natapakan, o ‘di naman kaya ay walang kalabisan o pagkukulang ang mga Marcos,” he said.

Yap, however, added that he does not believe former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and his family are solely to blame for the atrocities during the Martial Law era.

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Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has reported that some 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 tortured and over 3,200 killed during the implementation of Martial Law under the Marcos regime.

“Sa mga biktima ng Batas Militar, hindi ko po puwedeng sabihin na ang panunungkulan ng kahit sinong presidente ay perpekto, ang panunungkulan ng kahit sinong opisyal ng gobyerno ay walang butas. Ako po, naniniwala ako na may mga kalabisan during Martial Law. Pero hindi po ako naniniwalang lahat ‘yun ay utos na nanggagaling sa Malacañang,” he said.

Yap compared the abuses during Martial Law to events or incidents “beyond the control” of presidents who followed Marcos Sr., mentioning as examples calamities or a hostage-taking.

“Dapat bigyan po natin ng espasyo, ng duda, gaya ng pagbibigay natin ng duda sa iba nating mga lider na, ‘Hindi naman ito ginusto ni President…’ Nagkaroon ng hostage-taking, it’s beyond his control. Nagkaroon ng national calamity, it’s beyond her control. Alam niyo po ‘yun? Hindi ako naniniwalang dapat isisi sa iisang tao ang lahat,” he explained.

He nonetheless said he “believes” in the concept of “command responsibility.”

“Of course, kung sino ang nagtalaga sa taong gumawa ng mali, dapat meron din siyang pananagutan,” Yap said.