HISTORICALLY, the last time that a Philippine president declared martial law was on November 24, 2009, a day after the Maguindanao massacre. It was the day where one of the largest number of journalists were slaughtered in one event, and it was aired globally a lot of times, among the very few moments when the rest of the world would hear about our country, only when bad things happen.
Then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Presidential Proclamation 1959, which declared martial law over Maguindanao, and suspended the writ of the privilege of habeas corpus in the province on December 4, 2009.
It was needed to appease the land. To bring back the peace and help the citizens feel safe again.
But when you actually speak of the words martial law to a Filipino, instantly, there would be images of blood, abuse, and misuse of power. These perceptions are due to former president Ferdinand Marcos’ declaration in 1972.
And unfortunately, Marcos' martial law had huge accounts of human rights violations that whenever these two words cross a Filipino, it no longer means a solution to pacify a situation. It developed a connotation that translated to a horror story.
So much so, that when President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law once again on May 23, in Mindanao following the clashes in Marawi City, fear enveloped most.
But not everyone, especially those who were in Marawi City when bombs exploded and saw how terrorists dragged teachers out form an educational institution to be taken as hostages.
For Pol Jayson Dagoc, a student from Marawi State University, who was around the campus on Tuesday, May 23, death, was on the air.
He and friends were trapped inside one of the school's cottages (that's what they call their dormitories) and were barely surviving with water as they were running out of food and cannot really risk going out and purchasing goods.
I messaged him on Tuesday night asking if he was somewhere okay. I did not get a reply until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, May 26. He confirmed that he is finally safe after they decided to go on foot to reach Iligan City, the nearest place that's free from any terrorist presence (as of Friday).
He told me that it was nine hours of continuous walking just to get out of the city that Maute Group set on fire. It was the first time he opened Facebook and he felt betrayed the moment he saw how other people reacted poorly on the declaration, he said, "it's as if they want us dead."
After that, he decided to take a break from social media first and be grateful that he and his friends survived such tragic phenomenon. But he promised, "I will surely write about this." He did not say much but I felt how disappointed he was and I could not help but console him saying there are more who understands.
Writing this from Davao City, which is 257.8 km away from Marawi, we're still at peace but we know of the threat and we're being cautious. It is different from the kind of martial law imagined by those who rant.
As Clarita Carlos, a professor of political science at the University of the Philippines, said in an interview with Jervis Manahan of Philippine Television, "I think that is the appropriate response of the State, which is threatened. I don't know why we fear martial law. Our fears are unwarranted. We're creating our own ghosts."
There were tanks at City Hall but the Dabawenyos weren't afraid. They still go to the park visiting the agri-trade fair and taking selfies with the Task Force Davao with the tanks as background.
Martial law is not to be feared by civilians. Martial law is to be feared by two-legged monsters firing guns at people.