Rozan Chaya B.

Marquez
A reflection paper on Not on our watch: Martial Law
“I realized that subsequent generations never really knew what it meant to live under a
dictatorship. They have no memories of dictatorship. Unlike me, they don’t have marks on their
bodies, bad dreams at night, or friends who died in the prime of youth to remind them.
When we of this generation go, our memories should not leave the world with us. No, we must
never forget.”—Roberto “Obet” Verzola

My father once told me that I was fortunate not to be born during the period of martial law.
Previously, such comment did not bother me at all. My history books when I was in grade
school explained that martial law was the golden times in the Philippines. Later on, in high
school my instructors explained what martial law is and why it is necessary in times of revolt
and terrorism. My professors taught me that there is nothing wrong with it, and that as long as
someone does not do anything against the government, he or she would not be subjected to
martial law. Nonetheless, I am grateful that the university I attended in college taught me to
become aware what martial law really is.
Former President Marcos envisions a "New Society" for the Philippines in his proclamation of
Martial Law on September 21, 1972. A country full of growth, with the inhabitants enjoying
everything that development provides, including rich life, a peaceful society, happy
interpersonal relationships, and good government. Maybe it's evident with eyes blinded, but far
from sight if one tries to look at the big picture.
When martial law was declared, the entire country was placed under Marcos’ full control and
military rule. Marcos does not want any opposition. Martial law took away our freedom. Aside
from the privilege of writ of habeas corpus, all freedoms of speech, expression, and assembly
are suspended. People are not allowed to say anything bad about the government. Those who
oppose him are arrested, imprisoned, and, in the worst cases, persecuted. The media is also
manipulated in such a way that only positive news about the administration is broadcast.
During Marcos' reign, the government exerted control over the media and the press. The
government censored and altered news, stories, and information. Marcos is certainly
attempting to conceal the truth from his countrymen.
Martial Law is a very conceited type of governance that shows only its positive points while
neglecting the actual situation, full of lies, deceptions, selfish desires and abuse of powers. The
truth is being denied to society, and lies are being given to it on a daily basis. People are
treated as though they are animals, and their human rights are violated.
What happened in the past foretells what will happen in the future. I can personally identify to
the problems that our country is currently facing as a result of that one proclamation. Poverty.
Previously, the Philippines was one of the world's fastest developing countries. The progress
was subsequently halted since the economy was not effectively handled during dictatorships, to
the point where it hit rock bottom. Corruption is another issue. It may have existed before to
Martial Law, although it is most visible during those times. Until now, the situation has
become worse. We had just seen several people with similar intentions.
Honestly, I feel somehow annoyed by some of my friends who I later on learned that they
support the proclamation of Marcos and even want to experience it now firsthand. As a friend,
I approached them privately and educated them what really happened but nothing worked.
Social media played a big role on washing away the gruesome fate of the victims and the real
condition of the country’s economic state through distorted facts and fake information shared
by ill-minded people online who also learned it from the same platform. There will always be
some who want to deny the truth about the horrible destiny of the victims of martial law. But
we should always bear in mind that it will always be our obligation to learn the truth about
what transpired in our past.
Now, President Rodrigo Duterte has begun his tenure with a drug war, violated human rights
with extrajudicial murders, hired a female dancer as his PCOO assistant secretary, and declared
martial law in Marawi. While Marcos was in charge of the media under the first martial law,
Duterte is now in charge of social media. According to the Philippine Star, Duterte spent
around P10 million during his campaign to pay trolls to support him as president and target his
opponents. No surprise, till now he may have used it to persuade others that his decisions are
excellent. Fake news and trolls are increasingly commonplace on social media. Since most
Filipinos spend their time on social media pages, and postings and comments go viral, social
media has a large effect on how most of us think and act. We must be very careful in deciding
what information to accept and distinguishing between facts from lies.
Through Roberto “Obet” Verzola’s story, I became completely aware of the dictator's ruthless
persecution and how victims like ‘Obet’ were mentally and physically affected after that. I've
heard many anecdotes recounted by famous people and regular people about their experiences
during one of the worst periods in Philippine history. I witnessed the country's fight to
reestablish democracy. Filipinos have been fighting for it for a long time. The Spaniards were
followed by the Japanese and subsequently by the Americans. We'd beaten them all. The
implementation of Martial Law is never an exception. The people demonstrated their passion
for liberty once more, through both peaceful and aggressive rebellions. We had demonstrated
our solidarity by standing up for our rights. We shall constantly battle against any forces that
stand in the way of our aim of living progressively in a democratic nation.