The Chief Justice told them: “The Court is listening.” – Rappler.For a moment, everything seemed possible.
It has been many years since then, but the victims have not forgotten – especially as the Marcoses have neither acknowledged their crimes nor made reparations for their sins.Īt the Supreme Court hearing on the proposed Marcos burial at the Heroes’ Cemetery, victims were asked to speak before the Court to recount their horrifying ordeals. Historian Alfred McCoy wrote about Marcos’ elite torture units, whose specialty was psychological torture and humiliation aside from the physical pain. Women were stripped naked and raped, various objects forced into their genitals. Water was poured down their throats, then forced out by beating. They were burned with a flat iron or cigars. Prisoners were electrocuted, beaten up, and strangled. During this dark chapter of Philippine history, thousands of people were subject to various forms of torture. (READ: #NeverAgain: Martial Law stories young people need to hear)Ībout 70,000 people were imprisoned and 34,000 tortured, according to Amnesty International, while 3,240 were killed from 1972 to 1981. The Presidential Commission on Good Government, the body going after the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth, is still recovering this money over the past 30 years, at least P170 billion have been recovered.Īside from the billions in illegally amassed wealth, human rights abuses were rampant during those days. The Marcoses also plundered the country’s coffers, with various estimates putting the amount at between $5 billion to $10 billion. (READ: Marcos years marked ‘golden age’ of PH economy? Look at the data) From $8.2 billion in 1977, the country’s debt ballooned to $24.4 billion in 1982 – or within a period of just 5 years. Various reports and historical accounts debunk this while it is true that infrastracture spending increased during that period, it came at a staggering cost: plunging the Philippines in billions of dollars in debt. There are those who hail the discipline and supposed order of the New Society, as Marcos called it, and considered that period as among the “best years” of the Philippines.Īmong the myths: that the Philippines enjoyed a golden age under the Marcoses. What did the Martial Law years look like? ( LOOK BACK: The Philippine Constabulary under Marcos) Those considered threats to Marcos – such as prominent politicians and members of the media – were rounded up and arrested by members of the military and the notorious Philippine Constabulary. Curfew hours were enforced, group assemblies were banned, privately-owned media facilities shuttered. He ordered the armed forces to prevent or suppress any act of rebellion. He was to lead the nation and direct the operation of the entire government. Through various general orders, Marcos effectively put the entire power of government under the rule of one man: his own. The late dictator had also hinted at it in his address to the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association as early as – more than 3 years before the actual declaration.
According to the Official Gazette, several people had received prior information about Marcos’ plan. There were also indications that the plan to declare Martial Law had long been in the works.
(READ: Martial Law 101: Things you should know) There were subsequent reports that said the ambush was staged, with the Official Gazette citing Enrile’s admission in 1986 that it was faked to justify the imposition of Martial Law. His diary, meanwhile, said the proclamation of Martial Law became a “necessity”, following the supposed ambush of then defense secretary Juan Ponce Enrile. When Marcos signed Proclamation 1081 on September 21, 1972, he cited the communist threat as justification.
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