RECOLLECTION OF MARTIAL LAW BY FERDINAND 'BONGBONG' MARCOS,
JR
[SENATOR 'BONGBONG' MARCOS AT THE PHILIPPINE SENATE]
MANILA, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012 (BLOG WATCH) by Ferdinand
'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. - "It's this time of the year that I am asked the same
questions so I've decided to post what are answers to those questions I've been
asked repeatedly year after year as if the things that happened in the past can
still change.
"Anyway, to my friends here in FB, I will oblige you with what I hope is a
comprehensive personal recollection and personal point of view of Martial Law
from where we stand today.
"Firstly: though I may have been a precocious 15 year old, I would be lying
if I told you I was consulted on the planning and eventual declaration of
Martial Law.
"I had just turned 15 years of age and was pursuing my studies in the UK when
I received a call from our Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Mr. Jaime
Zobel, who broke the news to me that Martial Law had been declared. So much for
having been consulted on it.
"There are people still alive today that played major roles during the
Martial Law period, from both the opposition (to Martial Law) and officials of
the Martial Law government as well as officers in the military at that time.
They, perhaps, would be in a better position to explain Martial Law, from their
points of view at least.
[PHOTO -The MARCOS Family: BONGBONG & HIS SISTERS IMEE
AND IRENE WITH THEIR PARENTS]
"As a teenager in the early 70′s, I was aware of the lawlessness that
prevailed, the proliferation of fire-arms in the country, the violent street
demonstrations, the bombings, and mounting criminality; but the primary reason
Martial Law was declared, if my understanding is correct, was the imminent
danger posed to the state by the twin insurgencies waged by the armed communists
and the secessionists in the south, both receiving external support from their
respective benefactor countries.
"The problem of the communist insurgency was not exclusive to our country. It
was the same in other 3rd world countries and had been proliferating worldwide
with the active backing of the USSR and Communist China. Of course, my father
was always one to comment on current events and history and the conversations I
had with him cumulatively over the years, gave me a more complete, if not
complex, picture of the context in which Martial Law was declared.
"On a more personal level, I remember people saying how thankful they were
for the relative peace and order that followed Martial Law; the positive image
of the Philippines worldwide; the emergence of a tourism industry; the cleaner
streets; the dismantling of private armies of oppressive local politicians; the
containment of price fluctuations of basic commodities through Kadiwa and strict
implementation of price ceilings; self sufficiency in rice; world leader in
geo-thermal energy, and a semblance of discipline never before seen among the
populace, just to name a few.
"I mention these to give some balance to the one-sided version that has been
spewed out by the few that control media over the last couple of decades as can
be seen up to this day.
"In regard to the economy, one can simply peruse data relevant to those years
such as the World Bank figures, which can easily be accessed from the internet
(thank God for the internet).
"In 1973, our GDP growth rate stood at 8.9% that took a dip the following
year to below 5% as a result of the oil embargo. Subsequently, it stayed above
5% through all the succeeding years up to 1980 with a high of 8.8% in '76.
"The same WB figures show a negative growth in 1984 in the wake of Senator
Aquino's assassination in August of 1983 and what followed, as they say, is
"history."
"According to Global Financial Integrity, "capital flight from the
Philippines (includes illicit money that is illegally earned, transferred, or
utilized) was US$16 billion in the 1970s, US$36 billion in the 1980s, and US$43
billion in the 1990s which has led to a hollowing out of the economy."
"In addition, from 2000 to 2008, illicit financial outflow from the
Philippines registered at US$109Billion, according to the same source. Other
recent indicators or "distinctions" such as having become the "most dangerous
country, not at war, to live in for a journalist" did not occur during the years
of Martial Law, just to put things in perspective.
"Human rights abuses did not stop after 1986; nevertheless, and I hasten to
add, that does not justify the abuses committed under Martial Law but to say
that was "government policy" during those years is a reckless statement at best.
"Human Rights victims post-Marcos are just as much victims, with sufferings
just as real, regardless of who the perpetrators were or under whose
administration those abuses and massacres took place, and the guilty should not
go unpunished.
"We must also not forget the soldiers that have been ambushed and killed
while doing civic work in remote areas of the country; the gruesome killings of
our men in uniform that have been captured and some beheaded; and many other
human rights violations inflicted on AFP personnel including summary executions.
War is never a pleasant affair.
"As I've said repeatedly, I will leave to historians — those that are trained
in the discipline and are capable of impartial judgment and making impassioned
conclusions — to pass a verdict on those years.
"Most of what we hear today are self-serving statements by politicians,
self-aggrandizement narratives, pompous declarations, and political posturing
and propaganda.
"Finally, it is 2012, almost half a century since Martial Law was declared,
and the world we live in is not the same as four decades ago when I was all of
15 years of age. Today, we, as a nation, are besieged with serious problems, the
most glaring of which are poverty, hunger, peace and order, unemployment, the
drug menace, and climate change; and even our foreign relations, particularly
with China, has become wobbly if not precarious.
"We cannot change "yesterday" any more than we can foretell what the morrow
will bring. However, we can shape our future by what we do today.
"Blaming others and finding scapegoats are not solutions to poverty, rising
prices, criminality, the insurgency, and so on. And too much politics leaves no
room for leadership.
Sure, there are lessons to be learned from the past and it is obvious that
Martial law, and all the succeeding administrations for that matter, was neither
"a bed of roses nor a bed of nails," to paraphrase Bon Jovi's lyrics.
"That's all I will say on the Presidency of my father and those that came
after. I will resist indulging in the blame game and continue to look forward.
"Do I see Martial Law as something to be considered in today's context?
Definitely not; and my actions and public record as a local executive and as a
legislator, are consistent with democratic principles, participatory governance,
and the strengthening of institutions that provide the framework for checks and
balances among the three branches of government.
"All the government positions I have held in more than 20 years of public
service have been gained through the ballot box and I have been consistent in my
advocacy of devolving power to our LGU's. I have never been implicated in
anomalies involving corruption nor have I been accused of abuse of power whether
that be during my father's Presidency or after. It simply is not my cup of tea.
"But here's the point: we have got to move on, move forward, and channel our
energies in progressive and constructive pursuits, because only then will we see
and realize the full potential of our people.
"If we have faith in ourselves, believe in ourselves, and declare in a
unified voice that we can make real progress happen, God willing, it will
happen.
"Kung maniniwala tayo sa sarili natin na kaya natin, makakayanan natin!
Mabuhay po kayo!"
ALSO FROM BLOG WATCH
A youth during Martial Law
Author's note: This photo was taken by Reuben, my late
brother who was one of those who fought hard for our freedom and democracy
during martial law.
I always tell stories to my children about high school and college
life during martial law. I was 15 years old when Proclamation 1081 was declared
by former President Ferdinand Marcos on September 21, 1972. My folks seemed
overjoyed by the news.
The administration did a great job brainwashing the old folks that the
country was in turmoil and thus, Martial Law needed to be declared. I didn't
know it then, of course.
I felt a bit alarmed that any house could be raided for "subversive
materials". Any reading material might be "subversive" in the eyes of the
military. Dad was wise. He started buying books and magazines that were
pro-Marcos.
Soon after Marcos declared martial law, one American high-ranking official
described the Philippines as a country composed "of 40 million cowards and one
son of a bitch" otherwise, he reasoned they should have risen against the
destroyer of their freedom.
A youth during Martial Law
I spent most of my teenage years under the veil of martial law. Dad and Mom
warned me that the moment my sister and I joined rallies and demonstrations in
UP Diliman, it was back to Cebu.
They didn't know it then but my sister and I joined lightning rallies.
Student issues centered on Marcos, the dictator, Academic Freedom and the role
of Iskolar ng Bayan in the midst of Martial Law.
I remember my first rally was in Luneta Park on May 1, 1976. I forgot who
organized it now. All I remember was holding hands with my pretend-boyfriend in
Luneta Park. If you know Rico J. Puno's version of "The Way We Were", the
pretend situation brought me to stitches.
Ohhh... Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten
every line
And if we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would
we, could we
The organizers told us to be lovey-dovey and pretend to be sweethearts. I
guess this was needed so that the police will not be suspicious of any illegal
assembly.
At a certain signal, a group of a hundred students would all chant
Marcos, Hitler, diktador, tuta and converge in front of the Rizal Monument.
Those days, immediate arrest was inevitable.
I thought it was a giddy adventure oblivious of the danger of being arrested.
Raising our fists, stomping our feet around Luneta and chanting Marcos, Hitler,
diktador, tuta around ten times, we dispersed amidst the growing crowd.
Makibaka, huwag matakot!
Makibaka, huwag matakot! It was an exhilarating experience and I could feel
the adrenalin rush as we ran towards the Quiapo side streets. The police were
just behind our back. Too close for comfort.
I pushed my luck once too many until one day, I got trapped along with some
UP students inside an auto shop near Adamson University. It was Human Rights
day.
To make myself incognito, I wrapped my head with a scarf and wore large
sunglasses. Sadly, the police were wiser now.
They used the fire hose to disperse us and also to corner us into one place.
So there I was with my friends waiting for the truck to haul us to Camp Crame.
Maybe divine intervention prevailed upon us due in part to the intercession
of the St. Theresa's Colege nuns because suddenly, we were all released. There
was a hitch though. Our photos needed to taken by the Intelligence. I complied,
of course.
To make matters worse, my dad found out about the near-arrest. To this day, I
don't know how he found out. The military intelligence must have informed him.
Or the moles so prevalent during those days. Dad told my sister and I Stop
attending those demos or go home. This time, I obeyed because I valued my
education at the State University.
Reminding the youth about Martial Law
I am lucky because I never got detained or tortured unlike some of my
friends. My heart broke every time I heard news of my schoolmates in detention.
It angered me that traitors were around us waiting to report subversives to the
military. My brother was once detained for taking photos of policemen taking
down streamers of the activists. Imagine that happening to us right now.
I tell these stories to my children so they value their freedom, remember the
horrors of martial law and to never let it happen again. The youth born after
the People Power revolution need to know about the "human rights violation, the
muzzling of the press and the curtailment of freedom during the Martial Law
era."
The youth need to know how Ferdinand Marcos "fooled the Filipino people into
believing that Martial Law was needed in the whole country, even if the troubles
were only of political nature. The biggest loser was Press Freedom. Newspapers,
TV and radio outlets were shut down and eventually turned over to be owned and
operated by Marcos cronies."
"Rep. Karlo Nograles martial law made him value the restoration of freedom
and democracy."
"Let the lessons of martial law always teach us to value our freedom and
democracy. Let us always remember the sacrifice, the blood, sweat and tears
borne by those who were willing to fight so that future generations may live to
enjoy life free from oppression.
"We must honor them by ensuring that, no matter what, we must all stand
united to protect our democracy and willing to make our own sacrifices. We must
also ensure that justice will be served for the victims of martial law against
the oppressors and the guilty".
Sometimes I feel Martial Law never really left us, as if it is ingrained in
our culture. Take the alarming case of the Morong 43. Reports say that torture
and inhuman treatment fell in the hands of the Philippine state forces.
There are extra-judicial killings that are left unresolved. ONE PERCENT (1.05
percent) of these incidents of heinous killings has ended in the conviction of
the people who were responsible. This "one percent success rate in solving these
crimes is an absolute embarrassment and we Filipinos should band together to
make sure that this changes."
Nothing has really changed for the better since democracy was restored in
1986.
The same "old people are still in power, a lot of government officials still
usurp power to enrich themselves, and the Filipino is still where he was ..
maybe even worse."
Martial Law was indeed a dark part of our history but we have to be reminded
of it only because we need to honor those who fought and fell to restore
democracy then and now.
We need to let the evils of Martial law out of our system. Are we going to
allow ourselves to be called a nation of 95 million cowards, this time around?
Never again to Martial Law!
Justice for the victims of Martial Law and human rights violations!
THE AUTHOR AT MOMBLOG & EDITOR OF BLOG WATCH: I'm Noemi
Lardizabal-Dado (also known as @momblogger in Twitter), a 55 year old Filipina ,
a homemaker, and an Editor of Blog Watch, a citizen media site.
I am also involved in advocacy work and family recovery groups. I have 3
wonderful children: Lauren, 25, Marielle, 24 are college graduates while my
beautiful son, Luijoe, is forever 6 years old.
I'm married to Butch Dado, my on-off boyfriend, a smart lawyer, my husband
for 27 years. We've been together for a total of 33 years from the time we met
on January 26, 1978 as college students in UP Diliman.
Photo by Reuben Veloso Lardizabal. Some Rights
Reserved Originally posted on blogwatch.ph/thepoc.net
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AT: http://blogwatch.tv/2012/09/a-youth-during-martial-law/
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