Ferdinand Marcos holds the Guinness World Record for the “Greatest Robbery of a Government,” yet he is still considered a hero by some. During the 10-year constitutional dictatorship ruled by Marcos, corruption, alleged tortures, military violence, and unjustified executions were prevalent due to the legalization of them by the government itself. September 21, 2020 marks the 48th year since the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines and still, many believe his truthless promise of saving the republic and reforming the society.
Now, false claims are prevalent which lessen the intensity of the consensus during Marcos’ era. Not only were these “facts” made to lessen the negativity associated with Marcos’ regime, but they aim to dignify Martial Law and the horrific acts that were permitted under the dictatorship period.
This and many other statistical graphs, economic reports, and even a Guinness World Record glorifying his corruption as a leader prove that Marcos did indeed steal billions from the Filipinos.
1. The Philippine economy thrived under Marcos’ regime
Several claims commend the positive effects of Martial Law on the country’s economic standing. For Instance, the Philippines was called the “richest country in Asia” during Martial Law, according to a Facebook page. This is not true because the Philippines has never been the richest country in Southeast Asia.
In addition, individuals consider the Philippine economy the highest it has ever been during Martial Law. However, the poverty incidence in our country became 4.3% lower than in 1985, the year before the dictator was ousted in 1991 . In fact, 6 out of 10 Filipino families were suffering from Poverty post-dictatorship when only 4 out of 10 were pre-dictatorship.
2. There is no proof that the Marcoses stole billions from Filipinos.
Supporters of the late dictator also suggest that there are no proofs about Ferdinand Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth and that his wealth came from “hard work.” Such claims about Marcos’ embezzlement are proved to be false as numerous court cases prove that the Marcoses stole billions from Filipinos. In one of such cases, the Supreme Court forfeited Marcos’ recovered assets in favor of the Philippine government. This and many other statistical graphs, economic reports, and even a Guinness World Record glorifying his corruption as a leader prove that Marcos did indeed steal billions from the Filipinos.
3. Ferdinand Marcos received three US medals for his service in World War II
As early as 1945, Ferdinand Marcos insisted that he received three United States (US) medals for his military service during World War II, namely: Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and Order of the Purple Heart. According to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, these medals are fake. On the official websites of these corresponding medals, Ferdinand Marcos is not listed as any of their recipients.
As early as 1945, Ferdinand Marcos insisted that he received three United States (US) medals for his military service during World War II, namely: Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and Order of the Purple Heart. According to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, these medals are fake. On the official websites of these corresponding medals, Ferdinand Marcos is not listed as any of their recipients.
4. There were no massacres during Martial Law.
In the interview JPE: A Witness to History, former Senate president and defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile said that there were “no massacres” during Martial Law. However, there were at least two massacres reported. For example, several barangays in Palimbang were bombarded with shells fired from 105 mm cannons on September 24, 1974. The atrocity of the 1974 Palimbang Massacre was committed by the Philippine military forces in an attempt to wipe out the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels.
Afterwards, the second massacre happened on November 12, 1977 and took place in Bincul Village which was also committed against a Muslim community. Both massacres fall under the Martial Law period. Even after Martial Law, there were at least three more massacres committed by government officials under Marcos’ regime.
5. Only one was executed during Martial Law.
In the same interview of JPE: A Witness to History, Enrile stated that only one civilian was executed during Martial Law. Although his information is legally true, he only referenced the government-sanctioned criminal execution that involved capital punishment for a crime, not all the other killings permitted under Martial Law. According to a report by Amnesty International, 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 tortured, and at least 3,240 were victims of extrajudicial killings under Martial Law.
Martial Law is a period that brought upon an economic depression in the Philippines as well as unjustified killings, tortures, and imprisonments to innocent Filipinos. Martial Law, the “dark chapter in Philippine history”, should be memorialized in every Filipino with all of its gruesome truths so we may never forget the darkness hidden behind the government during the period. False claims sugarcoating the horrific events and practices that took place under Martial Law will never be able to justify the innocent lives abused and lost under the hands of a dictator.
Sources:
https://rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/lies-about-edsa-revolution-martial-law
https://www.infoplease.com/world/social-statisticuhs/worlds-ten-most-corrupt-leaders1
https://rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/false-no-massacres-during-martial-law
https://rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/ferdinand-marcos-world-war-ii-medals-explained
https://rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/no-poor-filipino-martial-law-only-aquinos-terms
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/martial-law-explainer-victims-stories
Leala Ko
Probe staffer
HiLites ASHS 