#NeverAgain: Remembering Martial Law
#NeverAgain. This particular hashtag has been used on social media every time September 21 draws near. Though it’s been used in different ways, it’s a sign that Filipinos have not forgotten what happened on this day 44 years ago.
A LASTING IMAGE. This image, taken and enhanced from this clip, will be forever etched in the memories of Filipinos. It may have happened 44 years ago, but we still remember it to this day. Image grabbed from Rouge
September 21, 1972 was the date when then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1081, which placed the entire country under Martial Law. The announcement was made two days later, on September 23, 1972. This infographic from the Official Gazette shows September 23 by the numbers:
It was a tumultuous time for the country when former President Marcos declared Martial Law. January 1970 was when a Constitutional Convention was held, marred by alleged acts of bribery from the President and the First Quarter Storm.
Taking these events into account, Marcos cited the rising communist threat from the New People’s Army (NPA) and the conflicts in Mindanao as his basis for putting the country under Martial Law.
Martial Law is the placing of a certain region under military rule. In effect, it allows the armed forces (military, navy, air force, and the then-active Philippine Constabulary), to enforce the country’s laws and suppress any attempts at invasion, insurrection, or rebellion.
He also ruled by decree under General Order No. 1, s. 1972, transferring all powers (executive, legislative, and judiciary) to him.
Martial Law would be lifted on January 17, 1981 via Proclamation No. 2045, though Marcos retained its extra-legal and arbitrary powers, including warrantless arrests and continued detention of anyone suspected of subversion or rebellion.
Today, Martial Law is still a controversial topic, whether it’s online or in real life. There are people who say it was the best of times: a time when people were disciplined, streets were safe even at night, and the country was at its best.
There are those who say otherwise: it was a time when the country was at its worst: human rights violations happened left and right, people couldn’t talk about the government, and the economy was at its lowest.
There are people who have continuously called for justice to Martial Law victims, and there are those who want those days back. A lot of material has been written about it, but none of them really came from within the days of Martial Law. Today, the best we can do is learn from the mistakes made during that time, both by Marcos and those who dared to oppose him.
Source: InterAkyson.com, Official Gazette
