By Vanne Elaine Terrazola Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III thinks that the release of ex-Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s interview with former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile about martial law is riddled with political motives. FILE PHOTO-Senator Aquilino Pimentel III (Bob Dungo Jr./MANILA BULLETIN) Asked in a radio interview Saturday, Koko said he believes that politics is the reason behind the upload of the controversial interview between Bongbong and Enrile on the eve of the anniversary of the martial law declaration under the rule of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Koko's father, former Senate President Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., had already slammed Enrile for his remarks in the interview, particularly his denial that there were imprisonment due to the expression of political beliefs during the Marcos martial rule. The incumbent senator said the interview was made especially amid Bongbong's ongoing electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo, and his sister Imee's bid for a Senate seat in the May 2019 elections. "Merong Marcos na tatakbo for senator, so isa na yon. Meron sigurong umaasa na baka sakaling from the backdoor ay maging presidente siya, manalo muna sa vice presidential (There is a Marcos who will run for senator, so that may be a reason. There is another who may be expecting that he might be president from the backdoor, that he will win in the vice presidential elections first)," Koko said. "Politika ang objective noon. Pero kung anong tunay na objective, pakitanong na lang 'yong dalawang gumawa ng dialogue nila kung ano ba talagang meaning noon (Politics may be their objective. But as for their real objective, you might want to ask the two who did their dialogue about what they really meant)," he told DWIZ. Koko also described Enrile's pronouncements as "very wrong," recalling that his father Nene, had been a political prisoner during the implementation of martial law. "May Crame, Bicutan, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro pa, may house arrest pa yan sa apat," he recalled. Koko added martial law also changed lives, including theirs, for the abuses under the Marcos administration. "People were afraid to speak...There were curfews. We could not seek the help of lawmakers because Congress was dissolved. Newspapers and television were controlled by the government," he said in Filipino. Koko noted that there was not a single recognition or admission from the Marcoses that there had been abuses under the late strongman's rule. But he said those who experienced martial law "know the truth, no matter how they attempt to change" history. He appealed to groups, especially martial law victims, to continue telling their tale and educating the public about the human rights violations under the martial law. He said the youth should also listen to stories about martial law and avoid the repeat of "such kind of society." "Those who have personal knowledge, speak up. That's what we should do. And if they would tell you to 'move on,' then we should tell them, 'How can we move on when you are changing basic history," he said, hitting the Marcos' recent statements. "But if they are seeing that those who caused their aggravation are tweaking even the simplest story about what happened -- that no one was hurt, that they were only 'inconvenienced' -- then moving on is impossible," he added. The mandates of Republic Act No. 10368 or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013, should likewise be fully implemented, specifically on educating the public school students about the atrocities during the martial law.