Marcos, Hitler, Diktador, Tuta. People in the streets during Martial Law protests would be heard chanting this. One might argue that they had different goals or that the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines was a necessity at the time due to acts of terrorism and insurgency, but at their core, both Adolf Hitler and Ferdinand Marcos’ reign were inherently adhered to the ideas of fascism.

Both before and after the Martial Law proclamation, the Marcos administration has embodied the hallmarks of fascism—more specifically, the 14 characteristics pointed out by writer Laurence W. Britt after examining the fascist regimes of dictators from different countries.

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

Despite not having an extremely patriotic motto ingrained in people’s minds, Marcos’ remarks in different official government events emphasized nationalism and the making of a Filipino ideology. He expressed his vision for the Philippines, the promise of a new society or Bagong Lipunan, where Filipinos would no longer live in poverty, hunger, corruption, mass deception, and violence. Today, many apologists still hold Marcos’ words as truth, pushing aside the atrocities committed in his regime while using his supposedly beneficial projects as a defense.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights

Like many fascist regimes, the Marcos administration and its supporters have constantly justified their use of inhumane methods to maintain “discipline” among the people. In his reign, people who opposed him were labelled as a threat to national security, often abducted, tortured for intel, or brutally killed. To this day, survivors and families of victims are still haunted by the experiences they or their loved ones faced during one of the country’s darkest times.

3. Identification of Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause

To divert people’s attention from the problem and justify their atrocities, Marcos’ fascist regime shifted the blame towards the opposition. Often painting insurgency as acts of terrorism, followers were led to believe that the government’s enemies are theirs too.

4. Supremacy of the Military

The military presence in the government during that time is something that cannot be denied with most of the key Martial Law figures like Fabian Ver, Fidel V. Ramos, and most of Marcos’ “Rolex 12” having high positions in the military. A huge amount of the country’s resources were also allotted to the military; the Martial Law era undoubtedly being one of the times where the Philippine military was at its best. The military was also seen as an expression of nationalism rather than tools of the authoritarian regime.

5. Rampant Sexism

Under this fascist regime, the government was almost exclusively male-dominated as traditional gender roles were emphasized. Along with this, after running against a female candidate, Marcos was quoted as saying the model Philippine woman “teaches her husband only in the bedroom.”

6. Controlled Mass Media

The media played a crucial role in democracy, serving as a government watchdog and a source of reliable news and information for the citizens. With this said, the powers and privileges of the media were removed the moment Marcos declared Martial Law. From the shutdown of private media outlets like ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation and Associated Broadcasting Corporation to the arrest or harassment of journalists and media owners at the time, the Martial Law era was one of the darkest times for press freedom in the Philippines.

7. Obsession with National Security

Along with the constant red-tagging came terrorist accusations, labelling those speaking up and fighting for the citizens’ rights as threats to national security. Fear was used over the masses, justifying their inhumane approaches by calling them protective measures for the sake and welfare of the country.

It was as if dictators were following a checklist to carry out their wicked plans…

8. Religion and the Government are Intertwined

Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) with its traditional bloc voting has led to the success of many politicians in the elections, one of which allegedly being Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. Despite this, the Church remained a force to defeat, being one of the leading forces in the EDSA Revolution—the resistance that led to the end of Martial law. 

9. Corporate Power is Protected

As Martial Law gave Marcos both legislative and executive powers, crony capitalism took place, establishing monopolies within our country’s economy controlled by only a selected few, namely Juan Ponce Enrile, Danding Cojuangco, Antonio Floirendo and so on. Capitalist powers were protected by the government, allowing these people to use their prestige for their own interests.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed

Since the organizing power of labor threatened the fascist government, labor unions at the time were severely suppressed.  Labor union leaders and workers turned activists composed the list of the desaparecidos and the victims of Martial Law as they were abducted and killed for expressing dissent towards the administration.

11. Disdain for the Intellectuals and the Arts

The arts was one of the most powerful ways to express not only creative freedom but also radical ideas. Because of this, numerous works criticizing the administration were banned during the Martial Law era. Among the victims of Martial law were artists, writers, professors and students expressing their disapproval of the government’s actions.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment

To say that police abuses were rampant in Marcos’ regime would be an understatement. Both the military and the police force were used to strike fear in the hearts of those who oppose the government, constantly let off the hook for the human rights violations they commit. People are conditioned to overlook these abuses and abandon civil liberties, all in the name of patriotism.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

Aside from placing his cronies in the military in high government positions, Marcos was given the power to exert influence over huge businessmen and politicians, allowing them to have complete control over the nation’s resources. Through these, Marcos was able to embezzle the nation’s funds, even gaining a legitimate Guinness World Record to his name for the “Greatest Robbery of a Government.”

14. Fraudulent Elections

Democracy once again succumbs to authoritarian rule. In the 1986 Elections, international election observers witnessed huge electoral anomalies and falsification of results in favor of Marcos, then leading to his unjust victory. According to them, occurrences of vote-buying, intimidation and lack of respect for electoral procedures were all present, all brushed off by the government, stating it was all a part of a smear campaign against Marcos. 

It was as if dictators were following a checklist to carry out their wicked plans, thus, we are called to learn from the past’s pattern. No matter the goals, fascism has proven itself corrupt and destructive many times through the course of history. As these telltale signs re-introduce themselves in the present, we must be vigilant and fervently defend the democracy of our country.

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Jaemie Francine Talingdan
Features staffer