The Last Days of Philippine Democracy
Philippine Martial Law was the late president Marcos’ cling to power and authority over the Philippines and its people. It was a haunting regime of torture, abuse, and killings that harmed Filipino democracy almost beyond healing. Lasting for 14 years, the one-man authoritative rule was overthrown by the Filipino people through the monumental People Power Revolution.
The People Power Revolution and Marcos’ final days in power are widely known by Filipinos as it’s taught in school and shown in multiple media through television and film. Only being knowledgeable of what happened as it’s about to end, some have utilized the people’s lack of knowledge of Ferdinand Marcos and his family to portray them as victims of a mad nation, even making films that villainize the Filipinos who participated in the fight for democracy. But let’s look back on Marcos and the days leading up to the declaration of Martial Law.
In 1972, Marcos’ second term in the presidency was about to expire the following year. Based on the 1935 constitution, he was barred from seeking another reelection and his political rival was forecasted to win the elections of 1973. But Marcos was determined to stay in power and already had a plan to promulgate a new constitution that would allow him to be the commander-in-chief, and this plan already started about three years before.
In the memoir of then Justice Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, he recalled how in December 1969, Marcos instructed him to study the power and authority of the President under the 1935 Constitution. He also instructed then Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor and Jose Almonte to study the implementation of Martial Law in different parts of the world. These instructions were made as Marcos “[foresaw] an escalation of violence and disorder in the country and [wanted] to know the extent of his powers as commander-in-chief.”
In the coming years, Marcos was discreetly handling documents and meeting with authorities, preparing the documents and manpower to implement Martial Law in the Philippines. He was ready for declaration and only needed to instill fear in the Filipinos to justify Martial Law. From March 15 to September 11, 1972, twenty bombings happened in Metro Manila and were unexceptionally pointed to communists and rebels by military authorities. At the end of these events, and on his birthday, Marcos released a book that depicts a heroic president who instills national progress despite the threats posed by communists and elitist families and politicians. The next day, Marcos hinted about his plan for martial law saying that the “rising tide of violence in the land” makes it necessary to use emergency actions.
On September 13, Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. exposes, in his privilege speech at the Senate, Marcos’ master plan for authority and power under Oplan Sagittarius. He revealed to the public that Marcos ordered a top-secret plan to place Metro Manila under military control as a prelude to Martial Law. He points out the bombings that happened earlier that year and how it wasn’t to cause death but only as maximum publicity for Marcos to justify Martial Law. He also noted that one of the two arrested bombing suspects was a sergeant of the Philippine Constabulary under Marcos.
On September 22, Enrile was “ambushed” by “communist terrorists” where he escaped unharmed. He would later confess that the ambush was staged and that he was part of the “Rolex 12,” a group of military advisors who helped plan Marcos’ Martial Law. At 9 pm that day, Marcos used Enrile’s fake ambush as the last straw and signed Proclamation No. 1081, which puts the Philippines under a state of martial law. At midnight, he arrested Senator Ninoy without a warrant and then started the reign of terror.
On the day Marcos declared Martial Law, he arrested all his political opponents and closed the schools. He shut down all communications and public utilities and placed them under government control. He also banned any overseas travel and closed airlines. Different media outlets, including 66 community newspapers, 7 television stations, and 292 radio stations, were seized and closed. Only three media outlets were exempted from Martial Law and these are Daily Express, TV Channel 9, and Kanlaon Broadcasting System. Approximately 8,000 individuals were arrested, mainly consisting of journalists, students, and labor leaders who opposed Marcos. At 7 pm, Marcos formally declared Martial Law. He imposed a curfew and banned public demonstrations.
Marcos ruled the country as a one-man Congress, with all the laws coming from him alone. Through the course of the haunting regime, he promulgated 6,700 laws that he used to justify his authoritative control, abuse, and murder of the Filipino people. Marcos is not a hero. And as misinformation continues to spread about his “good intentions” to the Filipino people, nothing will ever cover the truth about the country’s worst crime-convicted family and the 3,200 Filipinos they killed and the 10,100 people they tortured.
Summary
What the Filipino people know of Martial Law is mainly about the events that happened during and after the abusive regime. Its beginning is often overlooked, which is why Marcos' primary motives for his unjust cling to power remain unknown to most. It provides opportunities for misinformation that would try to justify its implementation and paint Marcos as the hero. To oppose historical revisions such as this, let's look back on the months and years before Marcos's declaration of Martial Law and hauntingly relive the country's last days of democracy. Did Marcos do what's best for the Filipino people? Or was he really just a violent dictator hungry for power?
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/817651/september-1972-recalling-the-last-days-and-hours-of-democracy
https://opinion.inquirer.net/88660/ninoys-arrest
https://philippinediaryproject.com/1972/09/22/sept-21-1972-thursday-sept-22nd-at-145-am/
https://verafiles.org/articles/how-marcos-kept-his-martial-law-plans-secret
Article by Bianca Tuno
Published 05 Oct 2022