Martial Law as to eradicate roots of Rebellion: 1972 vs 2017

Julianne Marie M. Lacsento

Lex Angelo Bernales
Jun Rey Tubo
Izza Nicole Fortun
Hllary Mia Loquite
Joel Pondang
Rose Anne Abiva
Joanne Maxima Ramilo
Adrian Rivas
XI- St. Thomas Aquinas
STEM- Senior High School
Father Saturnino Urios University

Mr. Xerdon Jon Catamora

The paper aims to identify that rebellion, the communist and other people that as a political
objective is one of the prominent reason why martial law exist in our country and also to show the
difference between the martial law that occurred in the administration of Marcos and Duterte. This
paper also aims to explain why martial law should implement in Mindanao during Duterte’s
administration. The researcher used different articles and basis to identify and support the study
on why should martial law should be declared in Mindanao. Also, the researchers used different
reference in media outlets in order to know the liability of the events and incident that had occurred
in past and present.

“No matter how strong and dedicated a leader maybe, he must find roots and strength
amongst the people. He alone cannot save a nation. He may guide. He might set a tone, he may
dedicate and risk his life but only the people may save themselves”
- President Ferdinand E. Marcos
 Introduction
Martial law, according to Britannica, is a temporary rule by military authorities of a
designated area in time of emergency when the civil authorities are deemed unable to function.
The imposition of martial law typically accompanies suspension of civil laws, civil rights, writ of
habeas corpus and the application or extension of military laws or military justice to civilians.
People may not know that martial law was first imposed in the country by President Jose
P. Laurel by virtue of Proclamation Number 29 for the period of almost a year (Sept, 23, 1944 to
Aug. 17, 1945) due to danger of invasion being imminent.
The mind of an individual shouldn’t be underestimated for it could create a broad
imagination that could visualize things that is beyond on the capacity of man to fulfil, yet in some
ways impossible could be possible and when it happened things cannot be held under control and
it will be irreversible. That happening is pertaining to the communist and rebel. For they were
perceived a wide capacity to discern things, they protest the way the government also discern in
the problem that Philippines had.
One of the main highlights was the rebellion because both of the most powerful president
in the Philippines declared martial law for they have reach the level of anger, to the unending chaos
that they’ve both brought in the country. The first longest period of martial law happened way
back in 1972 in the administration of Marcos.
Knowing what is the current situation of the social stability of the country is one of how
to recognize if the President will declare martial law. In terms of social political welfare, lack of
public trust in the government. Graft and corruptions still rampant. Overspending and over
borrowing of the government. In economic was the increasing of poverty. The oil price hiking
huge amount of foreign debt and most specially the highlight of this paper was the social
welfare, the crime rate was high before the martial law. There are many protest, rallies and
demolitions.

Background of Ferdinand Marcos declaration of Martial Law

( maka type ug balik ang mag revise kay nawala ang exact file :< )

ANALYSIS
Marcos’ plea to man-made disasters
Communist Organization Revamp
Even before it started there was a conflict between all politicians especially Marcos’
opponents. But what dominated was the crisis that has been utilized by the communist to create a
revolutionary situation. During 1970 a lot of people were being brainwashed and were engage in
a movement that lead them to join some organization in the field of communism, one of the
organization was the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), formed by Jose Maria Sison.
Though even before the CPP and the administration of Marcos an organization was formed, the
Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas and its armed force, the Hukbalahap or also known as the Huks.
Pieces of furstration that was left was ascend in the succeeding party.
Liberal Party and NPA vs Marcos
Aside from the aspiring organizations, his opponent was also one of the reasons. The 1971
election while the opponent (Liberal Party) is having miting de avance in Plaza Miranda it was
bombed and took 9 lives and left more than 100 people seriously wounded. After the explosion
they were cursing Marcos that all this years, they believe Marcos was behind it. He was being
blamed but it turns out, someone else was behind it. But before that suspicions initially fell on
Marcos, but prominent personalities associated with the Plaza Miranda bombing later pinned the
blame on Sison. Buhay representative lito antienza said that the master mind behind the 1971 plaza
Miranda bombing was Jose Maria Sison, the founder of communist party of the Philippines.
Sison’s involvement was mentioned in the autobiographies of ex-New People’s Army commander
and retired Armed Forces of the Philippines Brigadier General Victor Corpus and former LP
member and Senator Jovito Salonga. Over the years, Sison had repeatedly denied playing a role in
the grenade-throwing at the LP’s freedom rally, which was used by Marcos to justify the
suspension of the writ of habeas corpus and later, the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. He earlier
compared the summary killings happening in relation to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs
to the human rights abuses committed during Martial Law. They only blame Marcos of plaza
Miranda bombing so that Marcos has a reason to declare martial law. But seeing things in a
different angle the founder of the communist party and the Liberal Party planned all of this but the
outcome showed exactly opposite to what they expect so they put the blame to Marcos cause the
outcome could easily blame to him.

Seeking the wilderness minds of the opponent

MV Karagatan Chaos
The one most underrated event that lead up to the exsistence of martial law was the ship
that carried a lot of powered rifles, ammunition, rocket launchers, rocket projectile, equipments
and other assorted war materials by the CPP-NPA-NDF named the MV Karagatan. The most
turning point of that event was it was catered or sponosored by the Chinese Communist Party.
Knowing its exsistence became a big threat in the stability of the government and specially
the safety of the public. So late President Marcos wasted no time after he and his personnel detected
an isurgency problem of the country.
What is the reason why it is sunk? No military or rebel militarized MV Karagatan ship, but
the Typhoon is still the only reason that the ship is sunk.
Muslim vs Christian rebels
1968 to 1971 Moro student activism grows. Moro consciousness, based on Islamic
revivalism and knowledge of a distinct history and identity, gathers steam. Political organisations
emerge, to culminate eventually in the establishment of the MNLF.

Land conflicts in Mindanao escalate. Paramilitary groups proliferate; some attached to

Christian politicians, some to loggers, and some to Muslim politicians. Hundreds of young Moros
are sent to Malaysia for military training. Sabah becomes a supply depot, communication centre
and sanctuary for Moro rebels. Towards 1971, the Constabulary takes control of many towns
because of growing violence. Schools are closed, farms abandoned, commerce stagnates, and
refugees increase. The Christian-led Ilaga paramilitary group enters the scene. One attack, at a
mosque in Manili, leaves 65 men, women and children, dead and mutilated. A BBC radio report
of the massacre draws the attention of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. On 21 July 1971 leaders
from all sectors of Moro society publish a manifesto demanding that the government take action
to stop the attacks. The government calls the manifesto a threat. In August, the residents of Buldon
fortify their town after killing some Christian loggers. The army responds with a weeklong artillery
bombardment. By September, the cycle of reprisals is uncontrollable. In October, fighting between
the Barracudas (paramilitary group led by Muslims) and government troops leaves hundreds dead
on both sides. In November, 40 Maranaw Muslims are summarily executed at a military
checkpoint in Tacub. Muslims accuse the government of genocide.

Dutertes perspective that triggers martial law

Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) together with the Maute, and Abu Sayyaf joined
the invasion on Marawi City. The siege was triggered when the military tried to arrest top ISIL
leader, this prompted the terrorist to fight back.
Marawi Siege
They burned a catholic church, the city jail and two schools before occupying the main
streets and major bridges of the city. The mosque studded heartland of Islamic faith in the southern
part of the predominantly Roman Catholic nation and the political capital of Lanao Del Sur where
the pristine Lake Lanao is located has become a full-battle field after more than two weeks of a
very violent battle between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Abu Sayyaf-Maute
extremists. The city has been burning and in complete ruin. For the first time, the only
predominantly Muslim City has been emptied by its more than two hundred thousand population.
Its people have hurriedly left their residences and businesses (leaving behind everything) on the
first day of the siege firmly believing that it would be very brief evacuation. On that evening,
President Rodrigo R. Duterte did not hesitate to put Marawi City in a state of Martial Law.
Bombing in Mindanao
Before the actual siege of Marawi, there have been clear signs that the Maute group with
the Abu Sayyaf were preparing for something big. As early as the late 2014, the Maute brothers
had sent their people to be trained by Marwan and Basit Usman to make bombs in Pidsandawan,
Mamasapano (just before the famous January 25, 2015 Mamasapano massacre). Since then they
have been initiating bombing activities elsewhere in Mindanao (bombing in Davao, attempt
bombing in US embassy in Manila). The famous armed activities of the Maute group was the siege
of their own town – Butig in the last quarter of 2016. The municipality of Butig is one of the 39
towns of Lanao del Sur with 17,000 population. During the Butig siege, 16,000 out of its total
population were displaced. For the first time during the siege the Maute had made a chilling show
of power when black-clad members of their group raised the ISIS flag in the old municipal building
which they had controlled along with a high school building and a madrasah. This event has clearly
shown that the Maute from family-based has metamorphosed into a force which could create havoc
even in their own municipality and dislocating their own people including their own relatives.
Terrorists attacked Marawi City
The events that followed after the botched operation to arrest the so-called Emir of the
Daesh in the country have resulted to simultaneous but coordinated attacks in the central and
commercial areas in Marawi. The City jail was attacked, burnt and all its prisoners were set free.
Many of these freed prisoners had joined the Islamic Jihadists in fighting the government and
burning the City. The Dansalan College (an oldest Christian institution in the island – founded by
Protestant missionaries in 1908) was burned down and the teachers were either held hostages or
had hidden themselves in some buildings in the neighboring areas.
The Saint Mary Cathedral was also burnt down but not before destroying the religious
images and statutes which Catholic believers considered sacred in their faith. The parish priest and
the concurrent Vicar general of the Prelature of Marawi together with some of his parishioners are
held hostages and they are made human shields of the Jihadists against the bombings of the AFP.
They (Islamists) have tried to attack the City executive building as well as the PNP provincial
camp but they are not successful but up to now more than three dozen of the PNP personnel and
officers are still missing. The provincial hospital and the medical center of Amai Pakpak was also
attacked and has been closed since then.
The proclamation of Martial law
The proclamation 216, cited article 7, Section 18 of the 1987 constitution granting the
president the power to declare martial law in cases of “invasion of rebellion, when the public safety
requires it” for a maximum of 60 days. President Rodrigo Duterte would not have proclaim martial
law if Filipino terrorist were the only ones who attacked Marawi City.
It should be noted that martial law (based on the 1987 Philippine Constitution) can only be
legally declared when there is a rebellion or invasion and when public safety requires it. There
should be sufficient in the factual basis for the declaration of martial law or for the suspension of
the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. It cannot be definitely use preemptively.
Surely one cannot simply determine that there is a rebellion or invasion and that the public
safety is requiring it a few hours when the Maute and the Abu Sayyaf have started to create havoc
in the City. More so if the operation to serve the warrant of arrest even to the most wanted terrorist
in the world has failed.
Unless there are other bases that only the President and his inner circle of his trust know
that indeed Martial Law should be declared.
If one should consider that there might be other information from the intelligence
community that the President and his security advisers knew and therefore the failed arrest mission
and the early phase of the siege of Marawi have just served only to trigger for the declaration of
martial law because public safety is requiring it then it could not be corroborated by facts on the
ground. The security sectors which include the 103rd Brigade of the 1st Tabak Infantry Division
and the PNP provincial command were totally caught by surprise by the Marawi take over. Not a
few personnel of the Army Brigade were on leave/vacation during the actual attack which means
that they were not advised to stay put because of the intelligence information of the impending
attack. The PNP should not be in total disarray when the siege of the city started. Most important
of all, at least the civilian authority should have had a minimum of modicum preparation to at least
reduce the risk for the safety of the public or the civilians which means they should be informed
earlier even excluding the details. The disorganized evacuation of the City’s population and the
thousands who are left behind to absorb all the artillery and aerial bombings should not have
happened.
The government spokespersons have been trying to tell the country that there is an invasion
because there are foreign nationals fighting alongside with the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Jihadists.
The proof or such claim is definitely the foreign passports found on the battle field. Serious
consideration should be given to the foreigners who attended the Jamaat of the Tableegh at the
time. And with regards to the raising of the ISIS flags they could not be the basis of the invasion
before and after the siege. The Moro revolutionary groups have been raising their own flags since
time immemorial. The fact that these fanatical jihadists want to make Marawi a caliphate of ISIS
this cannot simply form an invasion became how can 400 fanatics declared an empty city of
Marawi as a wilayat of Daesh.
Another reason that the central authority of the country is claiming is that the Maute and
Abusayyaf is waging a rebellion. A rebellion should at least have a political objective and this
objective should be at least supported by a portion of the population of the place /city where they
have the rebellion. In the case of Marawi city, it is only the Maute and the Abusayyaf extremists
who are involved in the rampage of the City. The terroristic activities and the havoc that the fanatics
have inflicted in the city have made the population abandoned the city.
At best, the Islamic Extremists have inflicted terror on the population and their terroristic
activities have alienated them from the people. One cannot have a wilayat without a people and
one cannot have a successful invasion without the support of the people. These fanatics are called
terrorists.
The Marawi siege and the possible outcome of the takeover by the extremists and the
counter siege by the security can create destabilization effects among the young corps of officers.
A purely military approach to a religious, political and military problems like the jihadists have
been advocating would truly fail. Marawi city have been sieged by fanatics mainly coming from
outside Marawi and cannot and will not be solved by purely security sector also coming from the
outside. The people of the city and of the province should have been involved in the defense and
protection of their respective places and not only in performing humanitarian actions. The
declaration of Martial Law will cause another level of problems like repression and abuses mainly
because the security sector has not been fully cleansed and reformed. Abuses and violations of
Human Rights have been already reported during this stage of the siege.
Another danger sign as shown by the Marawi siege is the linking of problems of terrorism
to the drug problem. The President himself has already MENTIONED that drug money has
bankrolled the takeover of Marawi. It is simplifying the root causes of terrorism and just point out
to an easy culprit like drugs and drug lords. This line of thinking will surely lead to Martial Law
as an answer to the drug problem in the country. This is simply promoting a purely military
approach in solving a complex problem like illegal drugs and terrorism.

Analogy of violence
 Ferdinand E. Marcos and Rodrigo R. Duterte have many things in common. They share
the same insatiable drive for power with the ability to control and destroy democratic institutions
to ultimately achieve authoritarianism.
The varying methods in attaining their goals widely differ because of the different
circumstances of their times. Marcos’s swift and sudden imposition of martial law in September
1972 caught flat-footed millions of Filipinos. In one fell swoop, decades of democratic experiment
abruptly ended. All media outlets were closed down; thousands were arrested and detained;
Congress was padlocked; the Supreme Court was castrated, and the long night of oppression
descended upon our land.
On the other hand, Duterte’s capture of absolute power, unlike Marcos, is not swift and
sudden. His acts may not have been logically calculated, yet there are clear signs that they are
geared unmistakably towards a creeping constitutional authoritarianism.
Different circumstances in times also means different consitution were also used. Marcos
used the 1935 PCL which when the President declared martial he will be thw chief commander
chuchuxhu
In terms of curfew Marcos time was a bit strict uptight and more on violence meanwhile
in Duterte there is violenece but to only people who do not follow the orders or people committed
a chosen mistake.
When talking about human rights, even though the privilage of thw writ habeas corpus is
suspended, the innocent kn Marcos administration will be left behind and do not have voice but in
Duterte innocent will always prevail
CONCLUSION
On september 21, 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos promulgated proclaimation no.
1081 which placed the country under martial law. Caliing the regime one of “constitutional
authoritariamism” by the act also suspended the operation of significant provisions of bill of rights,
thus allowing for detention without charges and loss of the right to strike, and in various degree,
of the freedom of speech, assembly and the press. His main reason for declaring Martial law as “to
save the Republic” and “to reform society”. He explained that the growing violence in the nation,
caused by the leftists and the rightists elements had come to certain magnitude that required martial
law.
While the President can declare martial law, he can only do so on two grounds: invasion
and rebellion. And if he does, he cannot use martial law to abolish the Constitution, dissolve
Congress and supplant civilian courts with military courts.

Irrational fear is fueled by a failure to go beyond the narratives and painful memories of
the Marcos brand of martial law.

The fear is so irrationally embedded that it is even able to negate the more compelling need
to secure the safety of the Republic from the threat of terrorism, a 21st century scourge the causes
and dynamics of which have not been adequately theorized about nor fully understood.
 Thus, our national conversation is now being held hostage by irrational fear and extreme
prejudice. We have people opposing Martial Law even without a clear understanding of our
Constitution and who don’t know where Marawi City is. And we have people who are extremely
prejudiced against the President and the politics he represents.

No one is denying the people who suffered from Martial Law—the one that Marcos had
declared—the right to remember their pain. And no one is denying them their right to remind us
of its horrors, and to alert us to be vigilant so that we will not suffer the same.

But they do not have a right to hold hostage our future and our security.

( maka type ang mag revise ani,ang sumpay tua sa orig copy)

RECOMMENDATION
The government should make a secured website wherein they can put all the said events,
information or announcement specifically the difference between the martial law of Marcos and
Duterte in which the citizen can read reliable facts came from the government without biases. It
is important to make this kind of website because other media sites are in favored with other
government officials. This website will be their source of information about the happenings in
our government and country.
The government should also recognize equity needs to the citizen so that it won’t be the
cause to start rebellion.
The people should not believe easily on a news or an event that they just heard. They
should believe on reliable sources.
There should be an organization that will discuss to the citizen so that their perception
about martial will be change in a good way.