THE role of art is to harness creativity to advance particular group interests. It can be either affirmative, in the sense that it lends legitimacy to a preferred narrative which is existing, or resistive particularly when it asserts a narrative that is silenced and marginalized. In a divided society, art becomes a potential partisan weapon.
The divide that tears asunder our political landscape is manifested in the contestation on which version of history is correct, and by implication, which one is a distortion. It is a given fact that after the ouster of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., the anti-Marcos historical narratives gained the upper hand. It became the version that was borne by scholars in the academe, and propagated in popular culture and the media.
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