Even if humans are inevitably curious, one may already be satisfied with mere answers to their queries. However, it is always overlooked that not everything is what it seems. Likewise, there might be more to martial law than what meets the eyes.

Almost five decades have passed since the late President Ferdinand Marcos declared Proclamation No. 1081 which placed the entire country under one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history. The nine-year military rule became a time of uncertainty and fear, for the term brought about an unparalleled number of human rights violations. Thousands of people were seized from their homes and subjected to grave punishments of detainment, torture, and disappearances with a seemingly erratic pattern. 

The appalling number of injustices have since then become a recurring reminder of the time’s horrors. Yet to many, they tend to become the sole focus of its remembrance, without little mention for its cause. Aside from the explanation put out by the late president, various speculations have risen to criticize the root of the infamous Marcos regime.

One prominent reason from the late President Marcos was the alarming number of communist threats. In his speech, he granted the military the power to suppress what was considered as “acts of rebellion or insurrection.” At the time, the ideology of communism was on the rise, and within the Philippines, the New People’s Army—founded by Jose Maria Sison and Bernabe Buscayno—was reported to be funded and armed by groups outside of the country.

These incidents were some of the justifications used to push the implementation of Martial Law; yet, as history would show, the explicit reasons of the late President were not as crystal clear in their intentions.

The president continued in his speech that it was the only solution left to solve the situation as he had already exhausted alternate possibilities of asking for the surrender of the rebel groups and suspending the writ of habeas corpus, to no avail. However, future word from his former Chief of Staff Manuel T. Yan revealed that the decree was unnecessary and that the grounds for its enforcement did not exist. It was also a cause of speculation when the number of NPA members only grew exponentially instead of shrinking as the purpose of Martial Law intended due to more people joining amid the human rights abuses and worsening socio-economic situation in the country.

Before the imposition of Martial Law, another significant event was the bombing at the Plaza Miranda. On August 21, 1971, it became the subject of two grenade attacks during the miting de avance of the Liberal Party. Right as Senator Roxas was introducing his City of Manila candidates as the Liberal Party President, unknown perpetrators threw grenades that rendered many members of said party injured. He later drew accountability to President Marcos. It resulted in the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.

Another was the attempted assassination of then Secretary of Defense, Juan Ponce Enrile. His convoy was said to be ambushed in Wack-Wack on the night of September 22, 1972 while he was heading home. Enrile accounted that as they exited Camp Aguinaldo, gunfire came from a car before it drove off.  Oscar Lopez, a resident of Wack-Wack, contested it as he recounted that he only saw a bullet-riddled car that was empty and that his driver witnessed the happenings as it was staged. In 1986, Enrile confirmed that it was a ploy of Marcos, although he later retracted his statement.

These incidents were some of the justifications used to push the implementation of Martial Law; yet, as history would show, the explicit reasons of the late President were not as crystal clear in their intentions. Critics of the Marcos administration called Proclamation no. 1081 an avenue for President Marcos to stage a self-coup and maintain his position past the limits of the 1935 constitution.

What was supposedly a dreadful chain of events may be a set of strings pulled by a hand behind the curtain. The introduction of the New Society and the reborn Filipino that attracted many may actually be devices conducted to sway us in our foundations. While the Marcos regime has undoubtedly created new ideals and visions for the country, the reality of what commenced still shatters any illusions that lie ahead. And the Filipino will never forget. 

Will you give in to the illusion?

Sources:
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/declaration-of-martial-law/
http://malacanang.gov.ph/75022-defend-it-at-plaza-miranda-a-history-of-the-countrys-foremost-public-square/
https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/communist-party-philippines-new-peoples-army
https://rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/basagan-ng-trip-leloy-claudio-ferdinand-marcos-great-ideas-bad-executions

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Nicolette Zoleta
Features staffer

Updated 6:30 PM September 22, 2020