False Claim/myth:

“No poor Filipino” during Martial Law, only during the Aquino’s terms

Facts:

Another false post that dignified Martial Law said that nobody was poor during Martial
Law and the "real poverty" happened during the terms of the two Aquino’s.

This was false, because government data show poverty incidence was already high during
the Marcos regime, and it went on a downward trend after the late dictator was ousted.

False Claim/myth:

EDSA Revolution “removed” regularization, led to increase in OFWs

Facts:

The number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) supposedly increased because job
regularization was removed after the EDSA People Power Revolution. This claim was part
of a YouTube video that enumerated the negative impact of People Power.

However, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that the number of OFWs
rose even before 1986, and that contracting and subcontracting existed.

False Claim/myth:

“Only one executed, none arrested” under Marcos' Martial Law – Enrile

Facts:

In the first part of “JPE: A Witness to History,” a two-part video interview of former
Senate president and defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile that can be seen on Bongbong's
social media accounts, Enrile said he once “challenged” a journalist to “name me one that
we executed other than Lim Seng.” He also claimed that no one was arrested for criticizing
Marcos.

"Executed" as used by Enrile seemed to refer only to a government-sanctioned criminal

execution that involves capital punishment for a crime committed. In reality, there were
more people killed. Amnesty International's report said 70,000 people were imprisoned,
34,000 were tortured, and at least 3,240 were victims of extrajudicial killings under Martial
Law. (READ: Martial Law 101: Things you should know)

False Claim/myth:

“No massacres” during Martial Law

Facts:

In the same video interview, Enrile made another claim that "no massacres" took place
during Martial Law.

But there were at least two massacres reported between 1972 and 1981: the Palimbang
massacre or the Malisbong massacre in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat; and a massacre that
took place in Bingcul village in Mindanao on November 12, 1977. Both happened in
Mindanao, and both were committed against Muslim communities.

False Claim/myth:

Filipinos “free to roam, can watch news” during Martial Law

Facts:

This claim circulated in the comments section of a Rappler post about the 46th anniversary
of Martial Law in 2018. The copied-and-pasted comments suggest that the idea that the
Martial Law period was a “dark” part of the country's history was “twisted” and invented.

This was debunked by historical records and personal testimonies that show that personal
freedoms and media access were restricted when Marcos imposed Martial Law nationwide
starting in September 1972.