by Arcane

EDITOR’S NOTE: Before reading further, do note that this piece will disclose graphic details and may consider themes that may trigger the reader. There will be mentions of both physical and sexual abuse, and gruesome torture methods; reflective of the cruelties that took place during the Marcos dictatorship. If you believe these themes will trigger you in any way, you may decide to stop reading at any time. Please take care of yourself, and educate yourself all the more. 

“Each number is a story, each number has a family and loved ones.”

These were the words that Vice President of DAKILA, Jasper Abunyawan shared in his opening remarks before the film screening last September 27, 2024. 11,103 is a documentary by directors Jeannette Ifurung and Miguel Alcazaren that features stories of the cruelties of martial law under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The film is a mix of graphic, but realistic visualizations of the experience of each victim, and documentation of the 2022 Presidential Elections, reflecting different sides of a bigger political picture. 

In compliance with Republic Act No. 10368, or the “Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013,″ the state acknowledges their legal obligation to recognize and provide reparations for victims and/or surviving families. About ten billion pesos (P10,000,000,000) in funds were allocated to compensate those affected by Proclamation 1081. The namesake of the film comes from the number of victims given compensation, funded by the Marcos family’s stolen wealth— 11,103. 

With another Marcos at the head of the nation, we, the younger generation, are bestowed with a responsibility to never forget our history, and to learn from our past mistakes. Amidst a world of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, educating one’s self is a must to make the best possible decision for the future of the country. This is a practice we are familiar with in the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS), present in classes like MIL (Media and Information Literacy) and research; and one we are encouraged to uphold even as we step out of the blue and white walls of our school to serve our community. 

Each number is a story that is meant to be told, not revised. 

Stories Immortalized

Never forget.

11,103 is a film that compiles the experiences and retellings of survivors of the Marcos regime, and turns them into a call to action to never forget our history. 

Each survivor featured in the film is an individual with a different story and unique background, however what unites each of them is the bloodshed and cruelty they have had to endure to be alive and free in the present time. Whether they came from the city at a top university, a Catholic priest, or a Muslim living in a rural area, Martial Law disrupted the lives of anyone that had the misfortune of being in the Philippines during a so-called ‘golden age,’ welded by tainted hands. 

The stories of the survivors were no short of graphic, ranging from unprovoked torture to tribe massacres. There’s no single way to describe the devastation that we have had to learn about. After all, there is no way to sugar coat the harsh truth. 

Then again, even if these victims were financially compensated, is money truly enough to make up for the psychological and physical torture they faced? These survivors are far more than pests that need to be paid off to recover— they all deserve proper recognition, and it’s a shame we aren’t able to highlight the tens and thousands of survivors that were turned away for compensation. 

The ASHS dedicated the last week of September to the commemoration of Martial Law in the form of educational opportunities. With that came the chance to meet and talk to a living witness of the Marcos regime and the Martial Law period; his story was nothing short of agonizing. Mr. Boni Macaranas, an Ateneo graduate, detailed his experience of being whisked away in a kidnapping one night and interrogated for information. Despite having no illegal implications or any critical information, he was still physically assaulted, electrocuted, and ridiculed, before being locked up in solitary confinement. He now uses his platform to advocate for good governance, something Ateneans should take note of and exercise when given the chance to. 

We are consistently given a platform to speak up and educate ourselves about the dark past that our country has had to undergo to get where we are today. There is no doubt that without Martial Law, our culture and our mindsets would be much different— but as we live in a world where the best people are bestowed with misfortune, we’re obliged to live a life with a history stained in blood. 

A Past and Present Painted in Red

Never again.

Did Filipinos not learn from their mistakes? Even after films such as this one depicting the horrifics of Marcos’ dictatorship, his son still took the crown; with the help of misinformed masses and faulty credentials. During the reign of Marcos Sr,  there was a period of journalistic silence, wherein all press and news were closed down— resulting in the escalation and spread of mosquito press and secretive methods to publish information at the time. With the current misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation Philippine politics faces, who’s to say the country isn’t once again in a hard place when it comes to dispersing the truth? 

The survivors featured in the film, and even those outside of it expressed dismay towards the results of  the presidential elections; still haunted by the past that follows them— it was as if a bad dream that had just ended gained a second wind. But at the end of the day, it will be us at the short end of the stick, experiencing the repercussions of disinformation and a lack of proper education. 

At the end of the film when the 2022 election results were unveiled, a small ceremony took place at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani monument in the University of the Philippines, Diliman; attended by Martial Law victims and those willing to keep the memory alive. As the future leaders of this country, we are given an obligation to tell the stories of our history— just as the creators of this film did. 

Even if it is a part of our past that we would be well off without, it gives justice to the victims and families that just barely survived the Marcos regime by the skin of their teeth; or fell victim to the cruelties of the time. “Your generation will be the one to pay the trillions of debt, not us,” stated by Macaranas in verbatim. The country is being left in our hands, and we can’t let history repeat itself. 

We as Ateneans are built to be social agents, aware of the change that occurs around us and in the whole world. As a community that thrives on being persons for others, choosing leaders whose interests align with ours is the best way to take care of ourselves and those around us. We shouldn’t stray away from talking about topics considered sensitive, especially when they’re ingrained in our present identity. We should be able to open our eyes to the world around us, even if it is one knee deep in chaos. 

“It is not enough that we are aware and engaged…” 

Were the words that DAKILA president, Juan Pablo Luison left with the audience as he closed the film screening. Once you know of a situation, it would be plain ignorance to stand around and do nothing. We have an obligation to educate ourselves and learn from the events of the past, and apply it to benefit us in the future. 

The lives of those who perished and those who triumphed in the Martial Law era will forever be engraved in the depths of Filipino history; and in the hearts and minds of many. ASHS, we must never fail to remember those who paid for the Marcos regime with their lives. The world did not stop turning when the Marcoses regained control of the country. After all, history cannot simply be erased or revised with a snap of a finger— we shouldn’t let anyone even try. 

Never will we forget, Never will Martial Law happen again.