Friday, October 06, 2006 Legaspi: Coup or Martial Law? By Carlos Legaspi Jr. Questions That Matter
THIS article has been written immediately after the celebration of the anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law last 21st of September. However, I was not able to send this for printing due to the fact that the electronic mail was out. This is technology at its best. I hope the ideas in this write-up are relevant to today’s silence in our administration.
Last September 21, Filipinos could no longer do anything but look back at the dark years of the Marcos regime. Yet, today, one could say that the situation has worsened under the honorable Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The country is devastated.
In one of my classes, I was taught that martial law is the complete control of the government or administration by the military. It is the taking over of the civil government and all its elements. Martial law gets the approval of the congress or the parliament, thus it is legitimized and legalized. It is even done through a Presidential Proclamation. On the other hand, I was taught that a coup is an unconstitutional way of the military in taking the civil authority.
Usually a coup plotter or leader would come from the lower ranks of the military. It is the overthrow of an existing administration.
Proclamation 1081 by then President Ferdinand Marcos declared the whole country under martial rule with himself as the head of state of both military and civil institutions. If Marcos’ logic was to be followed his was really true and correct. He, being the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines , has the right to be the leader of the Martial-ruled Philippines. The Congress and the Senate cannot do anything but approve the declaration as “lawless elements” are really pose a clear and present danger to the peace and order situation of the country.
Indeed, the Marcos media reported that Martial Law has posed a great solution to the growing insurgency in the country. They made the people believe that it solved the problem of insurgency and rebellion in the country.
However, the sad reality was that many of the Filipinos were silenced by the tip of the gun or by the bullets. Many rested out of fear or even out of incarcerations. Fear and violence were the tools employed by the Marcos clones to silence the majority.
There was no opposition to check the immoralities of the president. There was no agency that could guide the people whose rights and freedoms were violated. There was no voice of the people. This prompted the opposition senator Ninoy Aquino to say that Philippine democracy is “Poor the people, op(press) the people and buy the people.” This was the democracy of Marcos.
Looking at the good side of it. Marcos had really steered the country well. He has made the Philippines as his own but made a name in Asia. I can look back at how Marcos controlled the local economy and how he blackmailed the world market. He was the one dictating the prices of commodities in the world market. He made a name in negotiating with world traders. He created many commissions that would take care of international relations while controlling the local economy.
It was this time that every Filipino had a food on their table. He tried satisfying the basic needs of the Filipinos and satisfied all the “wants” of his friends. The poor stayed to be poor but the rich became richer. The middle class and the opposing rich were the ones who were really affected by the Marcos economic policies. Many of those aspiring for a higher position in the administration but opposed Marcos policies were silenced or charged with rebellion or sedition. A New Society really emerged with the Marcos iron hand.
For a decade his policies had greatly raised the dignity of the Filipino to a virtual reality.
In 1986, a bloodless revolution ended what political analysts call the dark years of Philippine History.
The politicians tried to outdo Marcos by making a false scenario of great oppression among the masses, so a mad mob agreed with the events.
Congratulations to the UNO-R Religious Department for the launching of the “Handurawan”, a text on the history of Negros Churches.
Welcome UNO-R PAASCU accreditors.
St. Ezekiel Moreno and Pope John Paul II, pray for us.
For comments, send email to ecaloy1@yahoo.com
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