ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro on Sunday denounced President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s memorandum directing all national government agencies and state universities and colleges to recite the Bagong Pilipinas Hymn and Pledge during weekly flag ceremonies.

“Is Pres. Marcos Jr. again imitating his dictator father and bringing back martial rule? His order is reminiscent of Marcos Sr.’s directive for people to sing the Bagong Lipunan before,” Castro said.

“It would be best for Pres. Marcos Jr. to rescind this self-serving and martial law remnant of a memorandum circular. It is yet another way to deodorize the Marcos name brand and revise history. We should just stick with the Lupang Hinirang and Panatang Makabayan,” she added.

The controversial order cites the supposed need to further instill the principles of the Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance and leadership among Filipinos as the basis for the mandatory recital of the new hymn and pledge in all government offices and state universities and colleges.

Castro warned that the order appeared to be an attempt to indoctrinate government personnel and the youth with the Marcos administration’s self-styled Bagong Pilipinas branding, reminiscent of the martial law period’s Bagong Lipunan propaganda.

“Sa halip na ganitong mga gimik ang ginagawa dapat sana ay mas inilalaan ng administrasyong Marcos ang oras nito para pag-isipan at aksiyunan paano solusyunan ang mga problema ng mamamayan gaya ng pagtaas ng sahod, pagpapababa ng presyo ng mga bilihin, pagtulong sa mga driver at operator na ‘wag mawalan ng hanapbuhay, at paglikha ng mga kalidad at regular na trabaho sa bansa,” she stressed.