ANALYSIS
The Specter of Martial
Law
Thirty four years
since the declaration of Martial Law and 20 years since its downfall
through a people power uprising, the specter of another dictatorship is
more real today than ever.
BY BENJIE OLIVEROS
Bulatlat
Thirty four years
since the declaration of Martial Law and 20 years since its downfall
through a people power uprising, the specter of another dictatorship is
more real today than ever. The conditions that brought about Martial Law
can be seen today.
Just like the late
dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is
desperately clinging to power. Both the elections which supposedly gave
Marcos a second term and Macapagal-Arroyo a renewed lease on the
presidency were marred by massive cheating.
The economy then as
it is now is in a state of crisis. And the country was deeply divided
then as it is now.
The Marcos regime
violently dispersed mass actions during the First Quarter Storm; suspended
the writ of habeas corpus in 1971; then issued Proclamation 1081 placing
the country under Martial Law. The Macapagal-Arroyo administration showed
its contempt for the hard earned rights of the Filipino people when it
issued the Calibrated Preemptive Response to suppress mass actions on
September 21, 2005, the 33rd anniversary of the declaration of
Martial Law; and issued Presidential Proclamation 1017 (PP1017) placing
the country under a state of national emergency on February 24 this year,
the 20th anniversary of EDSA 1.
It is not a mere
coincidence that a substantial portion of PP1017 was copied from
Proclamation 1081 of Marcos. Marcos used the supposed threat of communism
and destabilization by “oligarchs” to justify the declaration of Martial
Law. Macapagal-Arroyo used the alleged Left-Right conspiracy to justify
her proclamation. Marcos blamed communists and demagogues for the problems
confronting the nation. Macapagal-Arroyo blames communists and
“destabilizers” for the crisis enveloping the country.
Upon the declaration
of Martial Law, Marcos closed all media establishments and arrested people
from a broad spectrum of the opposition. Upon the declaration of a state
of national emergency, Macapagal-Arroyo raided the Daily Tribune and
threatened all media establishments with closure or censorship. She
attempted to arrest Bayan Muna (People First), Anakpawis (Toiling Masses),
Gabriela Women’s Party representatives while threatening to arrest all
other members of the opposition.
Marcos, during the 14
years of his dictatorship, ordered the arbitrary arrest and detention of
around 120,000 people; the extra-judicial execution of 1,500 activists;
and the enforced disappearance of 769 individuals. Human rights violations
were committed with impunity then.
Trumped-up charges
Macapagal-Arroyo,
during the five years of her rule, ordered the filing of trumped-up
charges against progressive party-list representatives and libel suits
against the media and the opposition; threatened anybody opposing the
regime with charges of rebellion and inciting to sedition; ordered the
extra-judicial execution of 752 activists and their supporters; and the
enforced disappearances of 184 people. Human rights violations are being
committed with impunity now.
Marcos relied on the
support of the U.S. to prop up his regime. The Laurel-Langley Agreement
which defined the terms of trade between the U.S. and the Philippines was
to expire in 1974. Marcos promised that he would preside over the
drafting of a new constitution and enactment of new laws that would be
favorable to foreign trade and investments; protect U.S. properties and
capital against expropriation; and guarantee the continued presence of the
U.S. military bases in the country.
Macapagal-Arroyo is
banking on U.S. support to keep her regime afloat. In exchange, she is
promising continued support to the U.S. “war on terror” and the revision
of the constitution to remove all restrictions to trade and investments as
well as prohibitions on the basing of foreign troops in the country.
Marcos used the 1973
Constitution to declare himself as president and prime minister and extend
his rule indefinitely. Macapagal-Arroyo is pushing for Charter Change to
give her the powers of both president and prime minister and extend her
rule indefinitely.
Ferdinand and Imelda
Marcos burdened the Filipino people with their corrupt and extravagant
ways. The Filipino people are being burdened by the many corruption
scandals involving the Arroyo family.
Marcos supposedly
lifted Martial Law in 1981 but used his dictatorial powers until he was
ousted in 1986. Macapagal Arroyo lifted PP1017 a week after its
declaration but is continuing to exercise dictatorial powers up to now.
Marcos was so
confident of his powers and the fear it instilled on people that he did
everything that pleases him no matter what the public thinks and its
implications on people’s rights. Macapagal-Arroyo believes that her
administration is over the hump and is pushing for her agenda come hell or
high waters.
The Filipino people
bore the brunt of the Marcos dictatorship when the country was under
Martial Law then. It is bearing the burden of another dictatorship under
a state of undeclared Martial Law now.
The Filipino people
ousted the Marcos dictatorship then and vowed that never again will it
suffer under Martial Law. Will the Filipino people stand up against
another dictatorship now? Bulatlat
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