DUARTE, ERICA B GED121 OCTOBER 22, 2019

BSBA-N1BA1A

MARTIAL LAW

OBJECTIVES:

One of the goals of declaring martial law was to establish a new humanitarian, pious and patriotic
society with seven pillars. These are (1) national unity, (2) national identity, (3) development and
abundance, (4) democracy on the basis of human involvement, (5) social justice, (6) internationalism and
global solidarity and (7) freedom of belief. The reform programs emphasize seven aspects: (1) peace and
security, (2) land and form, (3) livelihood, (4) education, (5) government reorganization, (6) labor and
(7) social services.

https://grade7ste14thquarter.wordpress.com/2017/03/01/martial-law-
1972/?fbclid=IwAR2Sd34zR2IgNzeWN3jQ61AdvYuu_ftMBOls6C-5DGJ7vqC-7jn24dDfQ9c

PROS

Infrastructures

During the time of Marcos, infrastructures in the country had bloomed. As written by Max Sangil
in SunStar, Marcos administration was able to build the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Kidney
Center, Philippine Heart Center, Folk Arts Center. Marcos also put up the Lung Center, San Juanico
Bridge, and the Manila Film Center. Criminal activities According to Sangil as well, the criminality
lowered during the time of Marcos due to the curfew imposed as part of martial law. The corruption also
lessened in government agencies like Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Internal Revenue to the point that
they brought their own “baon” for lunch when they used to eat at the Manila Hotel before.

Transportation and Geothermal

Marcos was the man behind the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) as well as the South Luzon
Expressway (SLEX). During his regime, Manila Light Rail Transit (LRT) was also built. All these are
still being used by the Filipinos up until now. According to Lopez Link, in 1983, Philippines became the
world’s second largest producer of geothermal power.

There exists no constitutional power/authority for such military law to be imposed, or enacted
upon the citizens of the nation. Furthermore the Posse Comitatus Act, federal law, bars the use of such
military force upon the citizenry of the nation. Do not confuse the use of the National Guard being called
out during a disaster situation, such as for example Hurricane Katrina, as so many people who answer
here seem to, as Martial Law. During Katrina even though the NG was called out they acted in “support”
of, and under the direction of local law enforcement.

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-martial-law
CONS

Philippines’ external debt

In a report by ABS-CBN News, Marcos went on a ‘borrowing spree’ in between the 70’s to early
80’s. In 1975, the external debt reached from $4.1 billion to $8.2 billon. In 1982, it went higher up to
$24.4 billion. The debt exceeded more than the exports at that time.

Freedom of Expression and of the Press

When Marcos declared martial law, the media was shut down. As written by Jose Santos and
Melanie Pinlac in Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR)’s website, media practitioner as
well as the opposition personalities who criticized Marcos were brought to military camps for detention.
As per Department of Public Information (DPI) mandated, all media publications must seek permission
from them first. Marcos also issued a Presidential Decree to penalize anyone who would “undermine the
integrity if the government” through print or even just possessing leaflets about it. Everything went
through censorship.

Human rights violation

As reported by The Manila Times, around 3, 257 were killed during the martial law. The data was
written by American historian Alfred McCoy who authored A Question of Torture and Policing
America’s Empire. “Under Marcos military murder was the apex of a pyramid of terror with 3,257 killed,
an estimated 35,000 tortured, and some 70,000 arrested,” McCoy wrote. Prominent oppositions were also
arrested that time like the late Senators Ninoy Aquino, Jose Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada and Jovito Salonga.
Former Senate President Auquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. was arrested as well.

https://kami.com.ph/82661-looking-the-pros-cons-marcos-
regime.html?fbclid=IwAR0q20vgc6Ga3FYL8ST7X9-nP86GS8EB6eWxpo62G1fAUK_v2cFNv3p5Krc

If you would like to be arrested for no legitimate reason; be jailed for an indefinite period of time
with no trial in sight; be stopped by armed troops for no valid/lawful reason; be searched at any time
anywhere; have troops enter your home without a valid reason much less without a warrant any time they
felt the need, those and more are disadvantages of Martial Law, and that is why it is barred in the United
States of America while the Constitution still exists.

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-martial-law
Martial law

In September 1972 Marcos declared martial law, claiming that it was the last defense against the
rising disorder caused by increasingly violent student demonstrations, the alleged threats of communist
insurgency by the new Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the Muslim separatist movement
of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). One of his first actions was to arrest opposition
politicians in Congress and the Constitutional Convention. Initial public reaction to martial law was
mostly favourable except in Muslim areas of the south, where a separatist rebellion, led by the MNLF,
broke out in 1973. Despite halfhearted attempts to negotiate a cease-fire, the rebellion continued to claim
thousands of military and civilian casualties. Communist insurgency expanded with the creation of the
National Democratic Front (NDF), an organization embracing the CPP and other communist groups.
Under martial law the regime was able to reduce violent urban crime, collect unregistered firearms, and
suppress communist insurgency in some areas. At the same time, a series of important
new concessions were given to foreign investors, including a prohibition on strikes by organized labour,
and a land-reform program was launched. In January 1973 Marcos proclaimed the ratification of a new
constitution based on the parliamentary system, with himself as both president and prime minister. He did
not, however, convene the interim legislature that was called for in that document.
General disillusionment with martial law and with the consolidation of political and economic control by
Marcos, his family, and close associates grew during the 1970s. Despite growth in the country’s gross
national product, workers’ real income dropped, few farmers benefited from land reform, and the sugar
industry was in confusion. The precipitous drop in sugar prices in the early 1980s coupled with lower
prices and less demand for coconuts and coconut products—traditionally the most important export
commodity—added to the country’s economic woes; the government was forced to borrow large sums
from the international banking community. Also troubling to the regime, reports of widespread corruption
began to surface with increasing frequency.
Elections for an interim National Assembly were finally held in 1978. The opposition—of which the
primary group was led by the jailed former senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr.—produced such a bold and
popular campaign that the official results, which gave Marcos’s opposition virtually no seats, were widely
believed to have been illegally altered. In 1980 Aquino was allowed to go into exile in the United States,
and the following year, after announcing the suspension of martial law, Marcos won a virtually
uncontested election for a new six-year term.

The downfall of Marcos and return of democratic government

The assassination of Benigno Aquino as he returned to Manila in August 1983 was generally
thought to have been the work of the military; it became the focal point of a renewed and more heavily
supported opposition to Marcos’s rule. By late 1985 Marcos, under mounting pressure both inside and
outside the Philippines, called a snap presidential election for February 1986. Corazon C. Aquino,
Benigno’s widow, became the candidate of a coalition of opposition parties. Marcos was declared the
official winner, but strong public outcry over the election results precipitated a revolt that by the end of
the month had driven Marcos from power. Aquino then assumed the presidency. Aquino’s great personal
popularity and widespread international support were instrumental in establishing the new government.
Shortly after taking office, she abolished the constitution of 1973 and began ruling by decree. A new
constitution was drafted and was ratified in February 1987 in a general referendum; legislative elections
in May 1987 and the convening of a new bicameral congress in July marked the return of the form of
government that had been present before the imposition of martial law in 1972. Euphoria over the ouster
of Marcos proved to be short-lived, however. The new government had inherited an enormous external
debt, a severely depleted economy, and a growing threat from Moro and communist insurgents. The
Aquino administration also had to weather considerable internal dissension, repeated coup attempts, and
such natural disasters as a major earthquake and the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The resumption of
active partisan politics, moreover, was the beginning of the end of the coalition that had brought Aquino
to power. Pro-Aquino candidates had won a sweeping victory in the 1987 legislative elections, but there
was less support for her among those elected to provincial and local offices in early 1988. By the early
1990s the criticisms against her administration—i.e., charges of weak leadership, corruption, and human
rights abuses—had begun to stick.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines/The-Philippines-since-c-1990

The Philippines During Martial Law

Proclamation of Martial Law: On September 21, 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos placed the
Philippines under Martial Law. The declaration issued under Proclamation 1081 suspended the civil
rights and imposed military authority in the country. Marcos defended the declaration stressing the need
for extra powers to quell the rising wave of violence allegedly caused by communists. The emergency
rule was also intended to eradicate the roots of rebellion and promote a rapid trend for
national development. The autocrat assured the country of the legality of Martial Law emphasizing the
need for control over civil disobedience that displays lawlessness. Marcos explained citing the provisions
from the Philippine Constitution that Martial Law is a strategic approach to legally defend the
Constitution and protect the welfare of the Filipino people from the dangerous threats posed by Muslim
rebel groups and Christian vigilantes that places national security at risk during the time. Marcos
explained that martial law was not a military takeover but was then the only option to resolve the
country’s dilemma on rebellion that stages national chaos threatening the peace and order of the country.
The emergency rule, according to Marcos’s plan, was to lead the country into what he calls a “New
Society”.

Marcos used several events to justify martial law. Threat to the country’s security was intensifying
following the re-establishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in 1968. Supporters of
CPP’s military arm, the New People’s Army, also grew in numbers in Tarlac and other parts of the
country. The alleged attempt to the life of then Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile gave Marcos a
window to declare Martial Law. Marcos announced the emergency rule the day after the shooting
incident. Marcos also declared insurgency in the south caused by the clash between Muslims and
Christians, which Marcos considered as a threat to national security. The Muslims were defending their
ancestral land against the control of Christians who migrated in the area. The minority group organized
the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Malaysia and pushed for the autonomy of Mindanao from
the national government.

The move was initially supported by most Filipinos and was viewed by some critics as a change that
solved the massive corruption in the country. Martial law ceased the clash between the executive and
legislative branches of the government and a bureaucracy characterized by special interest. Marcos started
to implement reforms on social and political values that hindered effective modernization. To match the
accomplishments of its Asian neighbors, Marcos imposed the need for self-sacrifice for the attainment of
national welfare. His reforms targeted his rivals within the elite depriving them of their power and
patronage but did not affect their supporters (US Library of Congress, Martial Law and the Aftermath).

Thirty-thousand opposition figures including Senator Benigno Aquino, journalists, student and labor
activists were detained at military compounds under the President’s command (Proclamation 1081 and
Martial Law). The army and the Philippine Constabulary seized weapons and disbanded private armies
controlled by prominent politicians and other influential figures (Proclamation 1081 and Martial Law).
Marcos took control of the legislature and closed the Philippine Congress (Proclamation 1081 and Martial
Law). Numerous media outfits were either closed down or operated under tight control (Proclamation
1081 and Martial Law). Marcos also allegedly funnelled millions of the country’s money by placing some
of his trusted supporters in strategic economic positions to channel resources to him.
Experts call this the “crony capitalism.”
The deterioration of the political and economic condition in the Philippines triggered the decline of
support on Marcos’ plans. More and more Filipinos took arms to dislodge the regime. Urban poor
communities in the country’s capital were organized by the Philippine Ecumenical Council for
Community and were soon conducting protest masses and prayer rallies. These efforts including the
exposure of numerous human rights violations pushed Marcos to hold an election in 1978 and 1981 in an
aim to stabilize the country’s chaotic condition. Marcos, in both events, won the election; however, his
extended term as President of the Republic of the Philippines elicited an extensive opposition against his
regime. Social unrest reached its height after former Senator Benigno Aquino was murdered. The incident
sent thousands of Filipinos to the streets calling for Marcos’ removal from post. Turning again to his
electoral strategy, Marcos held a snap election in 1986 but what he hoped will satisfy the masses only
increased their determination to end his rule that seated Corazon Aquino, widow of Benigno Aquino,
as President of the Philippines ousting Marcos from Malacañang Palace and ending the twenty-one years
of tyrant rule.

https://www.philippine-history.org/martial-law-philippines.htm