Martial law Philippines

2022 - 9 - 21

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Manila Times"

Supreme Court upheld legality of martial law (The Manila Times)

SINCE the Ferdinand E. Marcos regime fell in 1986 the narrative woven by the Yellow and Red forces was that martial law was an assault on the Constitution, ...

One of the many important consequences of this transitory provision is that the Marcos regime's imprisonment of about 7,000 (going by the figures of the Human Rights Victims Claims Board) suspected or proven insurgents — which the Yellows and the Reds claim were "human rights victims" — was perfectly legal. That collector of historical trivia obviously sees himself as more knowledgeable in law than the justices, renowned legal luminaries who upheld the constitutionality of martial law. The anti-Marcos critics though have been claiming that the Supreme Court justices were simply cowed into making the decision to uphold martial law. Justice Makasiar pointed out its profound implications: "My view, which coincides with that of other members of the Court as stated in their opinions, is that the question of validity of Proclamation No. Even Justice Cecilia-Munoz Palma, who after retirement from the court joined the anti-Marcos opposition, wrote in her "separate opinion": "I hold the view that the President is empowered to issue proclamations, orders, decrees, etc. Many of the facts and events recited in detail in the different 'Whereases' of the proclamation are of common knowledge. "The state of rebellion continues up to the present. What actually strengthened Marcos' rule was his deft shepherding of the adoption of the new Constitution in 1973. Marcos as the "incumbent President" and head of government who is vested with authority under Article XVII, section 3 (1) of the Transitory Provisions of the 1973 Constitution..." However, the assembly had not yet been created in 1975 when the court deliberated on the constitutionality of martial law, with President Marcos de facto continuing to exercise that power through his presidential decrees and other forms of issuances. "The Philippine Supreme Court today endorsed the martial-law regime of President Ferdinand E. The Supreme Court in fact ruled in two decisions that martial law was constitutional and Marcos' proclamations, decrees and other official acts were legal.

Full-circle since martial law declaration: Heeding the call for national ... (Manila Bulletin)

Fifty years ago, then President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., issued Proclamation No. 1081 “Proclaiming a State of Martial Law in the Philippines.

The Supreme Court ruled “that Martial Law was a political question beyond the jurisdiction of the court.” 1972, transferring all powers to the president who was to rule by decree.” Hence, the martial law declaration is equated with the inception of dictatorship, or one-person rule. Congress “may revoke such proclamation or suspension, which revocation shall not be set aside by the president.” This was declared by the Supreme Court when it upheld the legality of the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus after the Aug. was declared winner by the Batasang Pambansa. Earlier that day, the military closed all newspaper and broadcasting facilities, including the Manila Daily Bulletin.

Philippine universities remember martial law era (UCAN)

11200 cases of human rights violations were recorded by the National Human Rights Commission during the 14 years.

We have brought this series on the 19 to remember the atrocities and human rights violations during the rule of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, father of the current president. We- the whole Philippines – need to remember otherwise we let those who manipulate our history win,” UP student and event organizer Maricar Ortiz told UCA News. About 3,000 were killed or disappeared, while 2,739 were tortured by security forces during the period. “We did not stay on the sidelines. “At that time, we were campus journalists.

Philippine martial law era still subject to misinformation campaigns (TRT World)

Late dictator Ferdinand Marcos falsely claimed that human rights organisations had never visited the Philippines and that their claims of torture, ...

And he falsely claimed the rights group "never" visited the country. It's a matter of record," Luke Espiritu said in a debate. I knew then that their purpose was really to kill," she said. The human rights organisation was officially registered in the country in 1987, "upon the fall of the Marcos regime". He said the key to fighting misinformation about martial law was to repeat the truth "as much as the lies". "Many people in the fringes of our society –– Muslims, farmers, fisherfolk –– they didn't even hear that there was a process for filing claims," Crisanto said. But she said the true scale of the abuses may never be known "given the immensity and pervasiveness of violations during that time". Joel Ariate, a member of the University of the Philippines' Marcos Regime Research group, said denying Marcos atrocities "has become like a bloodsport online". [notes](https://www.amnesty.org.ph/who-we-are/) that "From a group of 4 people in 1984, Amnesty International Philippines has grown to more than 20,000 members and supporters in 2019." The Marcos government denied torture was "widely used" and said Amnesty's report was "based on fabrications, biased, and without factual foundations". "People of the Philippines, they still don't know the facts," the 81-year-old told AFP from his home in Wisconsin. 70,000 were imprisoned.

Remembering martial law: Hope, then despair (INQUIRER.net)

When Ferdinand Marcos was president, one thing that activist Judy Taguiwalo clearly remembered was how glaring the gap between rich and poor had become.

The daily income of agricultural workers at the time declined by at least 30 percent—from P42 in 1962 to P30 in 1986. So large was this downturn that it took the country more than two decades to recover the level of GDP for every person in 1982. But this reversed in the mid-1970s to rapidly rise back to 7.9 percent in 1980. This ambush, as Enrile later revealed in 1986, was staged by Marcos to justify the declaration of martial law. The last time an economic downturn of this magnitude happened was in World War II. When Marcos declared martial law, one of his main reasons was to stamp out rebellion by communists, especially New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of CPP, which Marcos said had 1,028 “armed regulars”. 1081, the Official Gazette stated that Marcos also issued general orders and instructions to his officials after Sept. The Official Gazette stated that “the facts are clear”—a week before the declaration of martial law, a number of people had already received information that Marcos had drawn up a plan to completely take over the government and gain absolute rule. In 1981, the organization released a research on enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions that took place from 1976. Then a protest march at the Plaza Miranda was attended by a crowd of 30,000 and received coverage from newspapers, radio, and television. 21, 1972, “democracy was still functioning in the Philippines” as Aquino was still able to deliver a privilege speech. This brought Taguiwalo up close with poverty and the inequality which she would shortly discover was the root cause of people remaining poor despite working hard.

The 50th anniversay of martial law circa 1972 - Manila Standard (manilastandard.net)

Fifty years ago, then President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr. issued Proclamation 1081 which placed the entire country under martial law.

The imminent communist takeover of the country was nipped in the bud. A number of them fled abroad or hid in the countryside. That ruling renders the issue of whether or not his resort to martial law was baseless. Military forces intercepted the shipment at Digoyo Point in Palanan, Isabela, but the rebels escaped to the Sierra Madre and beyond. It is essentially an emergency measure, designed for the purpose of suppressing lawlessness and insurgency in the country. Although the said proclamation was dated September 21, 1972, its enforcement began only in the early morning hours of September 23.