A civil society group is raising more questions about the removal of images of Philippine heroes and past presidents in the newly designed peso bills, saying the Bangko Sentral is no longer printing P1000 banknotes with the old design.

In a statement, the August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) asked the BSP if it will continue to print banknotes with the faces of heroes alongside the new bills bearing the animals.

“Does the polymer technology only work for animals and not faces of humans? These BSP explanations were the same explanation released two years ago when the P1000 peso bill of Jose Abad Santos, Vicente Lim and Josefa Llanes Escoda became the first casualty of these landmark changes to our bills,” the group said.

“But after two years, we have yet to see any new P1000 peso bills bearing the faces of the three World War II heroes showing the signature of Mr. Marcos. Only Rodrigo Duterte signatures. This means they are not printing new ones anymore for the heroes.”

ATOM said if the trend continues, “sooner or later the Philippine eagle will be the only P1000 bill in circulation.”

“And this will soon happen also for the new roster of heroes being replaced in the new polymer bills.”

A BSP official earlier confirmed the new series of polymer banknotes do not feature Philippine heroes but will instead feature native and protected animals and plants alongside traditional local weave designs.

‘Yung sa heroes…wala pong pagtanggal. Dagdag lang ito sa mga disenyo sa banknotes. We want to also feature what other elements of Filipino identities are (sic) Bukod sa heroes, we are also known for our rich biodiversity kasi, so ‘yung mga endemic, endangered species naman natin I-feature,” Atty. Sarah Severina Curtis, director of the BSP Banknotes and Securities Production Management Department, said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

Curtis, however, did not say if P1,000 banknotes with the old design will still be printed. 

In its statement, ATOM said the images of Philippine heroes on banknotes serve as a mini-history of heroes who resisted tyranny throughout history.

“Previously, before being relegated to coins now, Andres Bonifacio & Apolinario Mabini represented the resistance against the Spanish occupation. Manuel Quezon during the American occupation when he lobbied for Independence from the Americans. Jose Abad Santos, Vicente Lim & Josefa Escoda resisted the Japanese Occupation.’

“Ninoy Aquino (and Cory Aquino) fought the Marcos dictatorship. Even Manuel Roxas served a purpose. He was the transition President from the Commonwealth era. Their legacy is also our legacy. Whatever achievements they may have accomplished in their lives, became our own accomplishments as a people. At ngayon gustong palitan ito ng gobyerno? They are part of our Filipino identity.”

The group said that while it recognizes the need to protect endangered species, it is important to ask if “they outweigh the blood and sacrifices that were shed and offered by our past martyrs and leaders so that others may live and experience the freedoms that we have enjoyed as a people later on in our history.”

“With the current actions of this government, it seems that this is the case for them. Do we now expect the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to be changed to Tarsier International Airport soon?”