On the afternoon of January 26, 1970, a crowd of protesters, mostly militant students, the moderates and radicals, were gathered to show strong opposition against the administration while President Ferdinand Marcos deliver his 5th State of the Nation Address entitled, “National Discipline: The Key to Our Future” — a grave foreshadowing of what was to come two years later.
Even before the implementation of Martial Law, the descending tyranny had already united activists from different organizations such as National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), Kabataang Makabayan (KM), Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan (SDK), Malayang Pagkakaisa ng Kabataang Pilipino (MPKP), and many others belonging to non-student organizations. Consequently, the declaration of Martial Law on September 23, 1972 only became a grave reminder of the darker days ahead for the activists, journalists, and anyone who protested against the government.
The fight for democracy and human rights was a progressive movement that during the Martial Law or when white terror was used against activists, Filipinos persisted in the struggle against tyranny.
In fact, the Martial Law includes an order to ban group assemblies including strikes and picketing in vital industries as stated in General Order 5, the Filipinos did not stop the dissent against the Marcos administration (See General Order 5 here).
The EDSA Revolution ended the Marcos Regime, but it took a long series of activism to build unity and resistance among Filipinos who have yearned to live in true democracy.
Courage in Youth Activism
Bonifacio Ilagan, a martial law survivor, lifelong activist, and human rights advocate, described the student movement like a “flowing water” as thousands joined the protests during the First Quarter Storm (Pre-Martial Law Era). Unsurprisingly, they were violently dispersed by the military. “It was as if there was an explosion. Learning much about the country’s situation – about oil price hikes, the economic decline, graft and corruption – also contributed to the outburst,” Ilagan said.
The fight for democracy and human rights was a progressive movement that during the Martial Law or when white terror was used against activists, Filipinos persisted in the struggle against tyranny. For instance, student activists had been arrested, detained, and tortured, while others managed to escape and went to the underground or the countryside to continue organizing work among the peasants. Also, the activists resumed propaganda work by producing “guerrilla-type newspapers”, for they believed even if it was only a small act of defiance, it had already created a big impact on the people.
“We mimeographed one ream, about 500 copies, of an underground newspaper. It was passed on from one reader to another. What we learned is that when one person received a copy of the newspaper, they would photocopy it until the copy was almost blurred.”
Thus, Ilagan realized that no amount of repression and suppression were able to stop their movement.
Church stands against Martial rule
The Church actively campaigned for civil liberties and significantly influenced the Filipinos as the nuns and priests were at the forefront of several protests against dictatorship. For example, the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) and the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines (CBP), groups within the Catholic Church, became active in denouncing human rights violations. Moreover, CBP released a pastoral letter in July 1973 which highlighted criticizing the military rule.
In addition, several priests organized and joined radical and leftist groups. Among those was Edicio de la Torre who wrote an influential critique of Philippine society encouraging priests to participate in the struggle for social reform before the Martial Law.
The repression towards the church personnel escalated as the government was disturbed by the number of lay organizations who were involved in human rights campaigns and in the establishment of alternative media that resisted the censorship imposed by the administration. Their names were engraved at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani to commemorate the lives of several religious people who bravely fought the tyranny. A handful of them suffered violent deaths while the missing victims are counted among the desaparecidos.
Journalists’ transition to Media Activism
An eerie morning greeted the Filipinos as newspapers were seen on the streets while radio sets only gave out noisy buzz, and television screens went blank on the day after the Martial Law was declared. The first broadcast aired was the announcement of the Martial Law decree. Indeed, Marcos had been aware of the pivotal role of the media; so he planned to eliminate their powers and privileges the instant he declared Martial Law.
The first months were the darkest as military censors were assigned to different outlets of media. Whereas, the most daring journalists were either in prison or in hiding as some critical and transparent media outlets were taken down. ABS-CBN was among those. 10,000 of its employees lost their jobs, according to Filipino author E. San Juan Jr as cited from the reports of the International Press Institute and the Press Foundation of Asia. Currently, the broadcasting giant is facing the same fate under the current administration.
On the other hand, several publications continued to be transparent and critical of the government despite the threats from the Marcos Administration. As an example, the Manila Bulletin’s publisher subtly supported women columnists and criticized the regime through fables and literary devices. Other brave journalists continued publishing critical articles that resulted in unfortunate outcomes such as the imprisonment of the entire staff of WeForum. They were brought to prison, and God-knows what horrors came next.
Indeed, Marcos had been aware of the pivotal role of the media; so he planned to eliminate their powers and privileges the instant he declared Martial Law.
After the assassination of Ninoy Aquino on August 21, 1983, the number of protests had substantially increased as 165 rallies, marches, and other demonstrations took place, according to government estimates. Accordingly, protest demonstrations continued the following year with more than 100 held between October 1983 and February 1984. One of the biggest rallies was the 120-kilometer “Tarlac to Tarmac” run from Aquino’s home province to the international airport where he was murdered. Around 300 joggers participated while thousands of Filipinos clamored to cheer them.
Certainly, the declaration of Martial law worsened the people’s struggles, yet it also intensified the protests and outcry of the Filipino activists. Finally, these series of rallies and tragedies triggered the People Power Revolution (EDSA 1986), the final act that ended the Marcos regime as the Filipinos finally found the moral courage to stand up against dictatorship.
Sources:
https://rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/documents-ferdinand-marcos-martial-law-orders
https://rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/how-marcos-silenced-media-press-freedom-martial-law
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/02/05/Tarlac-to-tarmac-run-ends-with-massive-rally/1716444805200/
KASAYSAYAN THE STORY OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE: A Nation Reborn (Reader’s Digest, 1998)
Chapter 11: Tyranny Descends
The Marcos Media by Sheila S. Coronel
Mary Therese L. Catapang
Probe staffer
HiLites ASHS 