NGEC 2: Readings in the Philippine History

Abuse of Authority: Extra Judicial Killings

during the time of Martial Law
 Abuse of Authority: Extra Judicial Killings
during the time of Martial Law

I. Introduction/Statement of the Problem:

It has been three decades and seven years since the Marcos Regime ended.
It was an excruciating 20 years of abuse that led for the people of the Philippines to
make the 1st People Power to overthrow the tyranny. In this 20 years of dictatorship
where they enforced Martial Law because the president saw a possible rebellion
against his government. The main problem was the extrajudicial killings that
happened during those times. Until now the abuse of the armed forces was seen
during the drug war of President Duterte. They would just pick someone and put
drugs and declare that the individual is a pusher or a user. So further emphasis of
this topic should be tackled because extra judicial killing is inhumane. They act like
animals and kill each other. On the other hand they should propose further
investigation and trials if an individual is arrested other than that the justice system
should be fair because the judges and lawyers if offered big amounts of money can
change his/her statement and give a guilty judgment to the one on trial.

II. Background of the Study

President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos signed the proclamation on September

21, 1972. Setting the Philippines on Martial Law because he saw a possible rebellion
against his government. Throughout the Martial Law period, Marcos September 21
as National Thanksgiving day under the Proclamation #1180 s. 1973. This one
marks the beginning of tyranny in the Philippines. Anyone who looks suspicious gets
arrested and tortured until dead. The abuse of power in the Armed Forces was
rampant; it was during this time that curfew was enforced and those who were
caught not abiding by this given curfew were arrested and never found. No one
knows where they went or what happened to them. Humanitarian institutions were
alarmed. Especially to the shoot to kill order if someone commits a crime. Their
question is, what if someone is framed? Because at that time there was no such
thing as a trial that existed. Trials were voided and money or the bullets were already
plunged in their heads.

III. Proposed Solutions

The individual under arrest should have trials and further investigations, but
the investigators should exercise good judgment because they can be paid if they
are greedy about money. Innocent people were sometimes framed so based on
Administrative order no. 173 of 2007 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
on March 23 2007. The government shall give further investigations upon the
individual arrest and the authority involved. The independent commision needs to
conduct thorough investigation for it to make the appropriate to the rule
recommendations in contrast with its mandate under Administrative Order no. 157
dated 21st of August 2006. These were the laws that proposed the individual's right
to jurisdiction and trial upon the arrest. These laws shall be exercised because one
innocent child could lose a father or mother if one of his/her parents was a victim of
abuse in their authority. So when we know someone who is being threatened by
armed forces they could talk to someone in the Public Attorney’s office who is brave
enough to fight against injustice because one principle of justice can differ from
another. In general justice should be fair and considerate but if one was proved guilty
of heinous crime or a grave crime then one should be punished by death or by
lifetime imprisonment but in exile be isolated from the others. Because those
criminals shall suffer and the innocent shall prevail. In the end justice should be
exercised with utmost respect and obedience. For justice and laws is what separates
us from the animals because animals are lawless just like humans who do not abide
by the law.

IV. Recommendations

Execute completely and without assist delay the Authoritative arrange 157 s.
2007 any revisions to the Structure ought to be made in a straightforward and
participatory way and take under consideration the State's commitments beneath
universal human rights law; Regard commitments beneath worldwide human rights
treaties to which could be a party; confirm and actualize other universal human rights
disobedient; and differentially the flexibilities of expression and supposition and of
tranquil gathering and affiliation as basic establishments for any vote based system;
Recognize the presence of human rights infringement and guarantee responsibility
for past human rights infringement, counting but not restricted to extrajudicial killings,
implemented vanishings, torment, illegal detainment, sexual viciousness and
constrained work, counting inside national benefit; Set up an free and fair-minded
component to explore and, where suitable, to bring culprits to equity, in specific
those with command duty, and to supply casualties with satisfactory change; and
guarantee that strategies are in put to hold all culprits of continuous and future
human rights infringement completely responsible. Conduct training programs to
avoid the possible incursions of all the armed forces.
On the other hand, the people have the rights to challenge the authorities to
exercise due process so that they won’t do something abusive, because there would
be no difference, if the armed forces would abuse their authority, they would just be
like terrorists, who don't care about the law and they would just do abuses that
comes unto their minds. Aside from that, authorities should be able to react quickly
with good judgment because it should be enforced that the law should be
humanitarian, because an individual had the right to live and avoid consequences of
a crime that he didn’t commit.

V. References

Declaration of Martial Law. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/declaration-of-martial-law/