ALLOWING a thousand flowers to bloom, a phraseology from Mao Zedong, makes for all voices to be raised both “for” and “against” the historical judgment, albeit evolving and hence pending, on “Martial Law” (ML). Contributing my own debutante thoughts on what is clearly a highly emotional issue when the name Marcos is part of the hardened psychosis of activism in a previous era, and which to this day, continue to raise its fist of rabidity over claims of historical revisionism.
I am un-beclouded by the chant of front issues regarding suspended liberties, human rights abuses, “desaparecidos and salvaging” etc. under the caption of “never again”. There is premeditated mental myopia and intellectual dishonesty in the obvious manipulation of prioritizing certain facts over others in presenting what must be the unedited context of ML.
An honest mirroring and surgical disquisition on the main topic must separate what is the debate on the ML declaration per se contra the ML Regime proper. Let us not blur both discussions and confuse the millennials in the convenience of burning effigies and slogans. The declaration of ML is a Constitutional authority (responsibility) validly entrusted to the President as Commander-in-Chief in the 1935 Charter Art VII Sec. 10 (2)… “to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion, insurrection, or rebellion…”.
Said ML provision is also present in the Marcos inspired 1973 and Cory written 1987 Constitution. The next question is, were said conditions present to warrant the declaration? I will desist tackling the grave MNLF Secessionism funded by Libya and Malaysia for lack of space, instead update this generation of a law which is de-emphasized in many media and print exchanges – RA 1700.
The Anti-Subversion Law passed in June 20, 1957 long before the Marcos presidency. What was the Congressional Conclusion: “The CPP although purportedly a political party, is in fact an organized conspiracy to overthrow the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, not only by force and violence, but also by deceit, subversion and other illegal means, for the purpose of establishing a totalitarian regime subject to alien domination and control.” (Erik Espina)