21/09/2026
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๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐
๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ: ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฐ
There was a time when television was only allowed to broadcast one channel.
Newspapers could only tell one story and only one voice could be heard in every radio program. For many Filipinos, the simple act of writing, speaking and gathering could suddenly cause them their life.
On September 21, 1972, Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. signed the Proclamation No. 1081, which placed the entire country under a state of Martial Law. The proclamation was meant to suppress the armed rebellion and constant violence happening in the Philippines at that time. However, when control slowly took hold, continuous grave violations of human rights became prevalent, from tortures to extra-judicial killings, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Filipinos.
Fifty four years later, September remains more than a printed chapter in the history books. It becomes a reminder of what can happen when those entrusted with power are no longer questioned.
๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐, ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐?
It is because corruption didn't end when Martial Law was lifted in 1981, nor when the Marcoses was driven out of the country in 1986. Its lessons still remain relevant in a country who still faces questions of accountability. Today, with the issues surrounding flood-control projects, the impeachment trial of the Vice-President Sara Duterte and the Pax Silica, we remain aware that public funds and government responsibility should be upheld and scrutinized.
When Marcos declared Martial Law, he justified his decisions because of the Communist insurgency and the ambush of his Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile. Yet his rule came alongside censorship and restrictions, making it harder for citizens and journalists to challenge those in power. Among the most affected was the press, with newspaper offices and broadcast stations being shut down following the declaration.
Even ordinary Filipinos then began to face injustice and violence, whether it was in the streets, in classrooms, workplaces and even at home. People began to learn what they could say, what they could question and what they had to fear. The lesson was uncomfortable, when accountability is weak, the consequences automatically fall to the people who depend on the government, those who expect their leaders to protect their rights and use their taxes responsibly.
Even today, with issues like the ghost projects, the impeachment trial and even the data centers, can represent a road that should have been built, a community that should have been protected, or public money that should have served the people. For corruption does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes, it appears as something missing where something was promised.
This is where remembering Martial Law becomes more than just looking back. It teaches us that democracy is more than elections, it reminds us to never stop asking questions. A free press and an engaged public are not obstacles to a government. They are what helps prevent public power from turning into personal power. For young Filipinos, such as ourselves, we should keep in mind that remembering the past should not mean inheriting its fears, rather we should inherit the responsibility to remain attentive.
Maybe the most important question after 54 years is not simply, " What happened during the Martial Law?" but rather, "What do we do when we see power being misused today?" For history does not always return wearing the same clothes, carrying the same things or using the same words. Sometimes it appears in a silenced voice, sometimes, in questions that remain unasked or in public funds that disappear from where it was supposed to be. We remember Martial Law not because we can change the past, but because we can still shape the present. And maybe, remembering doesn't have to mean we can completely recite what happened on September 21, 1972, but whether, when the question demands to be asked, we are brave enough to answer.
โ๏ธ: ๐ด๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ฟ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฆ: ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
References:
https://law.upd.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/UP-IHR-Martial-Law-Album-Plan.pdf
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ferdinand-E-Marcos
https://learn.martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/declaration-of-martial-law/
https://time.com/archive/6840284/the-philippines-marcos-martial-law/
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1490968/marcos-martial-law-golden-age-for-corruption-abuses
https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6b/entry-3843.html
