|
Thursday, September 23, 2004
San Pedro: The lessons of Martial Law
By Art San Pedro
THIRTY-two years ago, then President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law under the flimsy excuse "to save the Republic and form a New Society." This wholesale deception never took off from the ground. It crashed on the very day it was launched.
Martial Law succeeded only in installing a dictatorship and perpetuate in power a strongman who flirted with the 1935 Constitution. Thoughtless extravagance, greed and avarice became the hallmark of the dictatorship.
Marcos was first elected as President in 1966 and re-elected in 1970. His second term was supposed to end in 1974 but he was so smithened with power. He used Martial Law to achieve this end. Marcos feigned the bogus threat to national security and branded ordinary activism or militancy as communism. He labeled student leaders as left leaning or Maoist. Even the ambush of his Secretary of National Defense was stage managed to make it real.
Sen. Ninoy Aquino was the first to expose Oplan Sagittarius, a sinister plan meant to place the entire country under Martial Law. Marcos did it according to Oplan Sagittarius. When Martial Law was proclaimed, Marcos closed the Philippine Senate and Ninoy Aquino was among the first to be arrested, detained and incarcerated. The rest is history.
If Congress was clamped down, so was media. Martial Law dealt media a death blow. The likes of the Philippines Free Press and Manila Times were closed. Militant publishers, columnists and radiomen were detained. Chino Roces, Max Soliven, Napoleon Rama, Ernie Rondon, Roger Arienda were detained. The Daily Express lorded it over the country. Then Information Minister Kit Tatad was tasked to oversee the strangulation of press freedom through media restrictions and regulations.
Military abuses marred the reign of Martial Law in the country. Martial Law turned many young and promising military men into spoiled brats intoxicated with power. Many have become untouchable and used the opportunity to amass wealth. Many political families who agreed to toe the line were spoiled with patronage.
We saw in this country for the first time the evil of private armies. Presidential cronies controlled all sources of illicit wealth in the country.
Not one, not two, not three, but thousands died from the hands and tentacles of the despot. Hundreds of thousands of Filipino youth were disinherited of a bright future. The blood of the young and innocent Filipinos who opposed Martial Law laws sprinkled all over the land. Worst, democracy was bastardized. Marcos consolidated executive and legislative powers in his hand. Even the Supreme Court became a rubber stamp under Chief Justice Enrique Fernando. Not even the militant Justice Claudio Teehankee was able to register his dissenting voice.
Pampanga is not bereft of student leaders who braved the danger of that era. One of the more prominent student leaders was law student Oscar S. Rodriguez who had to review for his bar exams in detention. Oca did not soften up nor did he compromise his principles. Betrayal is not his cup of tea. Today, despite his long years in the government service, 14 of them in Congress, Atty. Oscar S. Rodriguez remains committed to what we fought for during Martial Law.
It was easy to be a plain student and follower during that time because you will never be exposed to risk. But it was extremely dangerous to be a student leader in the mold of Oca Rodriguez. It was a painful experience for families to have sired children who became student leaders because they were placed in the military's Order of Battle and subjected to all forms of threats and harassment. Many have died because they chose a meaningful death over meaningless lives.
Today, many student leaders of yesteryears are in power. Atty. Oca Rodriguez is the City Mayor of San Fernando. Atty. Ed Pamintuan was former GM of NHA. Atty. Arlene Buan is a successful legal practitioner. Former Atty. Ramos Cura died and so is militant educator Nap Pineda of Angeles. Remy Simpauco is now a businessman. I have not heard of Archie Simbulan and Jerry Rivera. Wherever they are, I wish them well.
Martial Law was a nightmare. The young people of today must believe me. We who survived the Martial Law years are living our second or third lease of life today. The threat to our lives was real and imminent. We braved the danger and the risk. God gave us the chance to live and serve. Today, despite our advancing years, it is hard if not outright impossible to turn our backs on what we stood and fought for. Atty. Oca. Rodriguez can bear me out because he is role model of those young leaders who suffered under Martial Law.
All we can say to Martial Law is, Never Again. We, who suffered in that regime has this say to our young leaders of today. Let us be truthful to our convictions, because in the end, we always get the kind of government that we deserve. Freedom is for the brave and Martial Law is for cowards!
(September 23, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
