Is Martial Law Really Behind Us?

Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown in a massive outpouring of anger during the 1986 “Edsa Uprising” by the broad alliance of Filipinos tired and disgusted with 20 years of U.S.-Marcos dictatorship. But the question remains. Is Martial Law really behind us?

BY EDWIN C. MERCURIO
Bulatlat

TORONTO, CANADA - U.S. politicians like then Vice President George Bush, Sr. said things like “We love your adherence to democracy”  to praise dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the height of Martial Law.

But a lot of Filipinos don’t see it that way.

Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown in a massive outpouring of anger during the 1986 “Edsa Uprising” by the broad alliance of Filipinos tired and disgusted with 20 years of U.S.-Marcos dictatorship. But the question remains. Is Martial Law really behind us?

“After four presidents, has the human rights situation in the Philippines improved in any way?” thus began Rev. Sharon Rose Ruiz Duremdez, visiting National Council of  Churches of the Philippines’ (NCCP) General Secretary in a symposium held Sept. 21 at the Fireside Room of Trinity-St. Paul United Church in Toronto. Ruiz-Duremdez spoke about the continuing struggle against repression in the Philippines under the incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

According to Duremdez, human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights) reports a total of  3,150 cases of human rights violations involving 171,369 victims, 18,636 families, 73 communities and 240 households under her administration.

These violations were mostly directed against peasants, trade union members, urban poor, Muslims, indigenous communities and other sectors critical of government and its policies. Forty eight leaders and members of Bayan Muna (People First) were killed during this period while 14 human rights workers have also been murdered since April 2001.

Duremdez described how reports show that summary executions, forced disappearances, rape, torture, aerial bombings, food blockades, strafing, secret killings and forced evacuations are happening on a nationwide scale. The Philippines has also become one of the most dangerous places in the world for working journalists with many media practitioners killed under the GMA government.

“When you compare the brutality of the Marcos regime and Macapagal-Arroyo’s there is not much difference. Amnesty International (AI) recently came out with a report that says forms of torture unseen before are now resurfacing under President Macapagal-Arroyo. There seems to be a culture of impunity as the incumbent president continues to implement policies such as globalization and deregulation that make the Philippines a safe haven for foreign investments,” she said.

According to Duremdez, the Philippines is the 4th largest country receiving military aid from the U.S. But,  she said, this military aid that comes in the form of guns, bombs, bullets, warplanes, tanks, trucks and other military hardware, aims to make the AFP an effective killing machine and an effective tool for suppressing dissent.

UN Charter

Duremdez also scored how the Philippine government violates the United Nations Charter provisions on Rights and Freedom, of which the country is a signatory.

“There is a continuing and worsening attack on civil liberties. Based on the number of victims and curtailment of freedom we can conclude the UN Charter of Rights and Freedom are only scraps of paper in the eyes of our government and don’t see the light of day. We undertook education campaigns for the promotion of human rights but it seems the government has no idea about this. Rights are violated one after the other,” she added.

After the first round of negotiations between the Philippine Government (GRP and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), an umbrella organization of the CPP-NPA, both parties signed a joint agreement known as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Law (CARHRIL). But while many human rights workers are helping document human rights violations, Duremdez noted how that there is “no movement from the government and military to seriously address, ensure, promote and defend human rights.”

Mining, tribal peoples and Mindoro

Duremdez also pointed to the apparent connection between human rights abuses, mining and militarization in the countryside, particularly, affecting indigenous communities to the entry of foreign mining corporations.

The island province of Mindoro is where the Canadian Mining Company – Crew Development Corporation has a proposed mining project covering over 9,700 hectares . The mining project is being widely opposed by the local residents, including indigenous community leaders and organizations, the local government, NGOs, and churches. Several of the 30 victims of summary executions in Mindoro were known active opponents of the mining operations.

Duremdez said many of the mining explorations leave villages with large holes in the ground that make entire villages vulnerable to landslides, destroying land and the livelihood of the indigenous people.

“It paves the way for a whole cycle of bastardization of the tribals’ land ownership.  Entire communities and villages are exposed to environmental depredation. Values and culture are eroded by the influx of foreigners and outsiders. Thus, it also creates a cultural problem as well,” Duremdez said.

Physical and psychological trauma

“In evacuation centers, the whole psyche of tribal peoples reacts negatively to displacement and relocation. They can’t go back to their communities and sense the loss of their ancestral homes, traditions and centuries-old cultural heritage. Especially in Mindanao, tribal groups fear loss of their lands, hunting grounds, livelihood and long term survival. This is a very complicated problem and NGOs and community organizations who assist and support the tribes are themselves victims of military atrocities.”

Mindoro reportedly became a key target when the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a nationwide “war against terrorism” in conjunction with George Bush’s “War against Terror.” Aerial bombings, combat operations, forced evacuations were conducted by the AFP and paramilitary forces to protect Filipinos from “alleged terrorists.” However, more and more Filipinos are convinced that it is the government using AFP soldiers and troops with arms and funding from the U.S. government who terrorize and commit violence and atrocities against the people.

“GMA’s ‘War on Terror,’” says Duremdez, “is not about making it safe for Filipinos. It is not about creating an atmosphere where people can express their sentiments but a safe haven for U.S. investments and continued exploitation of the country’s natural resources. By playing up on the fear of the people, GMA is creating fear and foreboding just like Marcos.”

Duremdez concludes that GMA stands for Grinding Poverty for Filipinos, Misplaced Priorities or looking elsewhere not to the needs and welfare of the people, Absolute Subservience to foreign interests and George W. Bush. Bulatlat

Back to top

We want to know what you think of this article.