Eksaktong 31 taon ngayong araw, katanghaliang-tapat ng Sabado, nagsimulang turuan ng sambayanang Pilipino ang buong mundo kung paano ipaglaban ang demokrasiya’t kalayaan, sa isang matiwasay at walang pagbubo ng dugong pamamaraan – ito ang binansagang “1986 People Power Revolution” – ang apat na araw na pakikipagmatigasan ng mga Pilipino upang mapatalsik ang diktatoryang rehimeng Marcos, na halos dalawang dekada ring nagtampisaw sa karangyaan at kapangyarihan, habang naka-pasang krus naman ang mas nakararaming mga mamamayan.
Police reporter ako noon sa muling pagbubukas ng pahayagang Manila Times, na ang haba ng panahong nakasara ito, ay halos kasing edad na ng Martial Law na umiiral sa buong bansa – isa kasi ang pahayagang ito sa mga ipinasarang media establishment matapos na mag deklara ng Martial Law ang dating Pangulong Ferdinand E. Marcos. Hindi na ito muling binuksan ng pamilya Roces na siyang may-ari nito, hanggang sa maipit sa isang interview si Pangulong Marcos at mapilitang ipagsigawan sa buong mundo, na nakahanda na siyang tumawag muli ng eleksyon para patunayang hindi siya isang diktador. Dito na muling binuhay ang diyaryong Manila Times at isa ako sa apat na unang mga naging police reporter nito. Maging ang lingguhang magasing Inquirer ay biglang naging broadsheet sa pasiyang ito ni Marcos.
Ang totoo, kahit na police reporter na ako noon at labas-masok sa mga presinto at kampo ng militar at pulis sa Metro Manila at mga karatig na lalawigan, ni katiting na hinagap na magaganap ang People Power sa EDSA ay wala akong naramdaman – ‘di naman marahil sa manhid ang aking pakiramdam kundi talaga lang sobrang confidential ang planong pagpapabagsak sa rehimeng Marcos ng grupo ng mga militar na pinamumunuan ng noon ay isang military colonel na si Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, na napakalapit naman sa noo’y Secretary ng National Defense (SND) na si Juan Ponce Enrile. (READ: Key players in the 1986 People Power Revolution)
Nabuking ang planong paglusob sa palasyo, at ang dalawang opisyal ng grupo ng militar na kung tawagin ay Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), na mga kasama sa gagawing pag-atake sa Malacañang, sina Major Saulito Aromin at Major Edgardo Doromal, ay naaresto at agad “ipinakanta” ang lahat nilang nalalaman sa planong paglusob sa loob ng Palasyo – kaya’t bago pa lang makapananghali ng Pebrero 22, 1986, ay kumalat na sa mga taga-media ang gagawing pag-aresto kay Secretary Enrile, dahil siya ang kilalang “godfather” ng grupong RAM. Kapansin-pansin ang mga armadong sundalo sa paligid ng gusali ng Department of National Defense (DND) na unti-unti na ring napapalibutan ng mga taga-media na naghihintay sa napabalitang presscon na magaganap sa mga oras na iyon.
Gadget
‘Di pa uso ang mga gadget noon tulad ng mga smart cellular phone at laptop ngayon. Walang pang text, email, chat at mga digital na litrato, kaya’t kanya-kanyang paraan sa pabilisan nang pagkuha at pagbato ng impormasyon kaming mga taga-media sa aming mga opisina at sa mga sideline na kung tawagin ay “abugadi” at “tabo” na mga foreign news agency. Sa bagay na ito, ay hindi ako magpapahuli, lalo pa’t gadget din lamang ang pag-uusapan. Siyempre mayroon ako – isang Radio Frequency Scanner at Tone Beeper na sobrang gamit na gamit ko sa aking mga coverage.
Nakatulong sa akin para agad kong malaman ko kung ano ang mga nagaganap sa kapaligiran ay ang aking AOR scanner na kasing laki lang ng mga cellular phone ngayon pero may 100 memory channel. Dito ko na momonitor ang mga “alert move” ng mga operatiba ng pulis at militar, RAM man o “loyalist” (Ang tawag sa mga rebelde noon ay RAM, “loyalist” naman ang sa mga sundalo ng pamahalaan) kaya’t kadalasan ay nakatatakbo agad ako sa lugar kung saan may inaasahang mangyayari, bago pa man ito malaman ng ibang taga-media.
Sa pamamagitan naman ng aking Tone Beeper ay madali akong ma-locate ng aking mga editor sa opisina kung ako ay kailangang utusan at patakbuhin sa isang lugar na may nalaman silang nangyayari. Wala kang mensaheng maririnig o mababasa sa Tone Beeper, maliban sa kapag nag-beep na ito ay senyales na dapat kang maghanap ng landline na telepono para tumawag sa iyong opisina(long beep) o sa bahay (short beep na paulit-ulit), para malaman mo kung ano ang bilin. Kalimitan itong gamit ng mga doctor para agad sila makontak sa ospital lalo pa’t may pasyente silang nasa emergency ang kalagayan. Ang beeper ko ay pamana ng isang kaibigang doktor na nangibang bansa na upang doon magtrabaho dahil nga sa hindi na raw magandang kalagayan pang ekonomiya sa bansa.
Napakalaking tulong ng dalawang gadget na ito sa aking coverage sa loob ng apat na araw na ang sentro ng mga nangyayari ay sa loob at labas ng Camp Crame at Camp Aguinaldo, kung saan ako ay paikut-ikot lamang, dala ang isang telang may nakabaligtad na bandilang Pilipino, ang gamit kong “counter-sign” sa paglabas-masok sa mga kampo. Ipinamigay ito sa Camp Crame sa mga nag-boluntaryong tutulong sa mga rebeldeng sundalo o RAM sa loob ng opisina ng PC –INP Public Information Office (PIO) na pinamumunuan ni Colonel Luis San Andres at nang kanyang senior staff na si Captain Cris Maralit. Kung marunong kang kumalabit ng gatilyo noon ay agad-agad ka rin pahahawakin ng isang Baby Armalite para makasama ka na sa mga magtatanggol sa kampo na noon ay napabalitang lulusubin na ng mga Marines.
Breakaway
Habang papadilim na noong Pebrero 22, 1986, unti-unting napupuno ng mga taga-media, local at foreign, ang loob at paligid ng magkabilang kampo sa pagitan ng EDSA at pagpatak ng ganap na 6:30 ng gabi – magkakasabay na isinara na ang mga gates sa Camp Crame at Camp Aguinaldo at isang press conference ang isinasagawa sa loob ng gusali ng DND at dito na pormal na inanunsiyo nina Secretary Enrile at General Fidel V. Ramos ang kanilang pag-BREAKAWAY sa administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos.
Hindi na ako pumasok sa loob ng DND, hindi ako nakatalagang i-cover ito. May mga kasamahan na akong taga Manila Times ang nasa loob na ng DND kaya’t ang sitwasyon na lamang sa buong paligid ang aking minomonitor. May bitbit naman akong transistor radio at nakatutok sa broadcast ng Radio Veritas na tuluy-tuloy na nagre-report sa lahat nang ginagawa at sinasabi ng mga nag-breakaway na sundalo at mga opisyal, na nagkulong na sa loob ng Camp Aguinaldo.
Habang palalim na ang gabi, patuloy ang pagbabalita ng Radio Veritas sa mga nangyayari sa loob ng kampo at bandang 9 pm ay nanawagan si Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin sa mga mamamayan na nakikinig sa kanilang radio na magpunta sa EDSA at suportahan sina Enrile at Ramos sa ginawa nilang pagtalikod sa pamahalaang Marcos. Nanawagan pa si Cardinal Sin na magdala ng mga pagkain para sa mga sundalo sa loob at labas ng dalawang kampo sa magkabilang panig ng EDSA.
Naging mainit at napakasigla naman ang naging pagtugon ng mga mamamayan sa panawagan ni Cardinal Sin sa radyo. Unti-unting nadaratingan sa EDSA ang pami-pamilyang mga tao na unti-unting umuukopa sa kahabaan ng EDSA, mula sa lugar ng Cubao sa Quezon City hanggang sa may tulay ng Guadalupe Nuevo sa Makati, animo papunta sa piknik sa dami ng kani-kaniyang bitbit na mga pagkain na iniaalok at ibinabahagi nung mga maraming dala, sa grupo naman ng mga walang bitbit. Masaya ang mga tao. Nagkakantahan ang pami-pamilya ng ilang makabayang awitin, gaya ng “Ang Bayan Ko” at “Pilipinas Kong Mahal.”
Fidel V. Ramos together with Juan Ponce Enrile with RAM soldiers led by Gringo Honasan during the Edsa People Power. February 22, 1986
FATHER FIGURE. Enrile (left, wearing glasses) was like a second father to a younger Honasan (middle). Photo by Romeo Mariano.
Literal na masasabi kong bumaha noon ng inumin, mga soft drinks, mga juice na naka-tetra pack at nasa lata, at mga de latang sardinas na pampalaman sa suput-supot na mga tinapay at pandesal. Narinig ko pa nga ang komento ng ilang sundalo sa may gate ng Crame at Aguinaldo, na sa dami raw ng dumating na mga pagkain, kahit tumagal pa ng isang buwan ang giyerang kanilang papasukin ay di sila magugutom. Nakisali na rin kasi sa pagde-deliver ng mga pagkain ang ilang malalaking restaurant, food chain at mga hamburger store – sa pagbabahagi ng kanilang mga food products sa mga sundalo sa loob ng mga kampo at mga undercover agents na naglipana sa paligid ng Kampo Crame at Aguinaldo at kahabaan ng EDSA na mabilis nang napupuno ng mga nagdadatingang mga tao.
Marines
Tahimik at pakiramdaman halos ang mga tao sa buong magdamag, suwerte lang kung makanakaw ka ng konting tulog – maya-maya, madaling-araw na ng Linggo, Pebrero 23, 1986 – sumabog ang balitang nilusob at pinabagsak daw ng mga “loyalist” na Marines ang transmitter ng Radio Veritas sa Malolos, Bulacan kaya bigla itong nawala sa ere at natigil sa pagre-report. Dito na nabalot ng tensyon ang mga tao sa magkabilang kampo at mga nagbi-vigil sa gitna ng EDSA, sa harapan ng dalawang kampo…baka raw kasi ang susunod na pag-atake ng mga Marines ay sa EDSA na.
Ngunit ‘di naman nagtagal ay biglang naghiyawan ang mga tao – muling bumalik sa ere ang Radio Veritas gamit ang kanilang standby generator at transmitter. Ang inirereport nito ay ang intel-information hinggil sa posibleng pag-atake raw ng mga Marines sa Camp Crame at Aguinaldo sa araw na iyon. Dito na ipinasya nina General Ramos at Secretary Enrile na magsama na lamang sa Camp Crame matapos nilang makumpirma ang intelligence report, na naghahanda na raw ang mga Marines at mga taga-Air Force(PAF) sa gagawing paglusob sa kanila. Dito naganap yung madalas ninyong naririnig na “Salubungan sa EDSA” na kasamang palagi sa pag-alaala sa pagdiriwang ng 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. Ngunit kahit na magkasama na sa Camp Crame sina Secretary Enrile at General Ramos makapananghali, nanatiling mataas at patuloy pang tumataas ang tensyon sa buong paligid ng mga oras na iyon.
Remembering the past and upholding hard-fought freedom are the underlying themes in the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution
epa05179471 A Filipino priest gestures while riding a tank with soldiers as they march in front of the People Power monument to re-enact the 30th anniversary of the fall of the then President Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship, in Quezon city, east of Manila, Philippines, 25 February 2016. The People Power Revolution (EDSA) was a bloodless citizens’ uprising that ousted late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. EPA/MARK R. CRISTINO
SALUBUNGAN. A Filipino priest gestures while riding a tank with soldiers as they march in front of the People Power monument to re-enact the 30th anniversary of the fall of the then President Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship, in Quezon City, February 25, 2016. Photo by Mark Cristino/EPA
MANILA, Philippines – For several hours, the traffic-clogged EDSA transformed back into the iconic 1986 highway where millions of Filipinos won back their freedom and overthrew a dictator.
A shower of yellow confetti, the iconic Laban sign, and the traditional Salubungan reenactment in front of the People Power Monument – this was how the Philippines marked the 30th anniversary of the EDSA revolution that ended the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Some of those who came to EDSA brought flowers and an image of the Virgin Mary, the same symbols that were once used in the peaceful revolution 30 years ago.
But those who lived through the horrors of the martial law years fear that younger generations have forgotten what the EDSA revolution stood for and how it figures in Philippine history.
That fear of forgetting – and the plea to remember the past – is evident in this year’s commemoration activities. In the lead up to February 25, personalities involved in the bloodless uprising warned about the dangers of revising history. (READ: #NeverAgain: Martial Law stories young people need to hear)
Some also pointed to the comeback of the Marcoses in Philippine politics as a sign that Filipinos have forgotten the human rights violations that occurred under the authoritarian regime.
Worse, some say, young Filipinos do not even acknowledge that those atrocities actually happened.
Remembering the past and upholding hard-fought freedom were the underlying themes in the 30th commemoration program, with government leaders urging the youth to revisit history and remember the dark years of martial law.
In his opening remarks, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr highlighted, in particular, the experiential museum set up in Camp Aguinaldo, which aims to attract the younger generation by using theater and visual arts to narrate recent history.
“The museum aims to inspire the youth to appreciate the freedom many of us take for granted,” he said.
It’s the same sentiment echoed by youth leaders who presented short speeches at the commemoration rites.
Khenn Arquiza, who hails from Zamboanga, said that millennials like him know only about the horrors of martial law through stories passed on from their parents.
But as their parents once fought for freedom, Arquiza said it is his generation’s responsibility to fight to keep it.
Maria Angela Magay Villa from Palawan also acknowledged how the youth have benefited from the restoration of democracy in the aftermath of EDSA.
“May karapatan akong magsalita at ipahayag ang aking saloobin nang hindi ako nangangamba sa aking buhay, na hindi natatakot na ma-raid ang bahay. Hindi pa ako pinapanganak nang kayo ay nagkapit-bisig at buong tapang na hinarap ang mga tangke,” she told the crowd.
(I have a right to speak and express myself without fear for my life, without fear of my house being raided. I wasn’t born when you banded together, crossed arms, and bravely faced the tanks.)
Villa added that the youth’s challenge now is to build on the lessons from EDSA.
“Ano ang EDSA ng mga kabataan ngayon? Ito ay may dalawang bahagi: ang panunumbalik ng dignidad ng nasyon, at ang taos-pusong paglilingkod sa kapwa nang walang kapalit,” Villa said.
(What is the EDSA of the youth today? It has two parts: the restoration of the dignity of the nation, and wholehearted service to our fellowmen without expecting anything in return.)
Shocking narratives of the martial law years
The experiential museum in Camp Aguinaldo is one attempt to remind the youth of their past.
The museum, which uses elements of theater and visual arts, features different halls that showcase various phases of the martial law years and the atrocities that occurred during that period. (IN PHOTOS: Inside the powerful EDSA 30 experiential museum)
Before entering the museum, visitors are warned about disturbing images featured in the halls.
HELPLESS. As visitors go through the Hall of Orphans, children behind barbed wire fences leap up and ask for the whereabouts of their loved ones. Rappler photo
Leonelyn dela Cruz, a teacher at Kapitolyo High School, said some of her students were shocked to see photos and videos of those who died or disappeared during the martial law years.
But Dela Cruz believes that the shock factor may be needed to drive the point home.
“The photos showed the salvage victims, those who disappeared, the innocent ones who were just suspected of wrongdoing,” she said.
“But the shock factor may be needed so that they can really relate to what happened during that time,” Dela Cruz added.
For Dela Cruz and some of her students, it was the Hall of Forgotten Martyrs that made an impression. In that hall, 4 actors portrayed activists who narrated how they stood up to the Marcos regime, and how they were brutally killed for their defiance.
“I got goosebumps hearing those 4 speak,” Dela Cruz said. “They represented the thousands who died and were killed…What happened then was truly unspeakable.”
Grade 9 students Ellen Fernando and Angelica Leyson said they could not imagine how such acts of cruelty and brutality had been part of Philippine history.
“We’re lucky that we did not have to live in such a situation,” Leyson said.
Fernando, meanwhile, saw another side to the Filipino experience during the martial law years.
“We saw the difficulties we’ve been through. But we also saw that we love our country.”
The longest Martial law in the Philippines was declared 47 years ago in Sept. 21, 1972 and it lasted for 14 years. It is annually commemorated and recollected to remind people of those years in the hope that it will never happen again. With the advent of the rapid infotech developments, the spread of fake news, and historical revisionism, it makes sense to record the actual events and realities of those times, and also to preserve lessons for the future. The University of the Philippines recently approved a three-unit subject as an elective subject for their undergraduate courses.
There were sporadic martial law declarations in the Philippines during the Spanish times when the Filipinos would revolt against authorities. Martial law was also declared for a short period during the onset of WWII, and the Japanese practically ruled the Philippines under martial law for the duration of the occupation. In more recent times, Arroyo declared martial law in Maguindanao during the search and arrest of the Ampatuans for a week, and Duterte put Mindanao under martial law last year until now.
De facto martial law also exists in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Russia, China, Zimbabwe, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and many countries in varying degrees of duration and severity. Martial law rule happens from both ends of the ideological spectrum. The communists, the socialists, and assorted rightest dictators are as prone or eager to impose martial law to stay in power.
The Philippines is among the countries that experienced an extended, severe, and brutal martial rule together with Zimbabwe, Haiti, and North Korea. The experiences in the Philippines and these countries may be representative of the socio-political effects of long-term martial rule.
The extensive restriction on civil rights and liberties, human rights abuses, lack of press freedom, suppression of social dissent, one-party dominance, no real elections, social immobility, and the unjustified imprisonment and killings are direct effects of long-term martial law. The longer martial law is in place, the more severe and brutal the abuses of the authorities.
Martial law is disastrous on the economy. The more it encroaches on the free enterprise market mechanism, the slower the economic growth, then stagnation and recession. These are currently demonstrated in Venezuela, Libya, Zimbabwe, Turkey, and some other countries.
Government dominance in the economy in the public and private sectors distorts markets/income distribution and leads to cronyism. The restricted economic liberties stifle initiative and discourage entrepreneurship. Technical and scientific innovation from within and from outside are limited due to uncertain intellectual property protection and an uneven justice system.
There is a realization of these negative consequences of long-term martial law, that many authoritarian controlled countries are moving to a softer kind of martial law which is less repressive that allows for economic freedom and a functioning market economy. The United Arab Emirates like Dubai, Qatar, and most of the Middle Eastern countries are in this direction. So are China, Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and many eastern European countries. The current demonstrations in Hong Kong are an example of this trend and the need to achieve a balance between authoritarianism and economic freedom. In my recent trips to China and Vietnam, the political suppression is not felt by foreigners and are only slightly imposed on the citizens, except for the high-profile dissidents. Although Beijing does exercise a heavy hand in many instances due to the hardliners in the politburo, they seem to be more even-handed in the case of Hong Kong, or they are in a quandary on how to handle the situation. It seems to me, the only answer to an abusive and extended martial law is really “People Power”.
Beyond the common perception that martial law began on September 21, 1972 – 47 years ago today — when President Ferdinand Marcos suspended the Constitution, closed down Congress, arrested opposition leaders like Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. and Sen. Jose Diokno, along wih hundreds of other officials and newspapermen, very little is actually known as historical fact about this period in our history.
This is why we welcome the announcement that starting next semester, the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Arts and Letters will be offering a three-unit subject “Wika, Kultura, at Panitikan sa Ilalim ng Batas Militar sa Pilipinas” under Philippine Studies in the Departamento ng Pilipino at Panitikan sa Pilipinas.
It will be broad enough to include martial law as imposed during the Spanish colonial rule and during the Pacific War. But these will largely serve as background information for the crucial years of Marcos martial law that set aside the country’s democratic system of government in 1972.
The country learned of martial law on September 23, 1972, although President Marcos had signed he martial law proclamation on September 17. He publicly declared martial law as beginning on September 21 — a multiple of 7 – possibly because he liked the number seven. “TP-777” was the hull number of the presidential yacht.
On the morning of September 23, the nation woke up to find no newspapers and no radio broadcasts. In subsequent days, there were announcements of the suspension of the Constitution, the closing down of Congress, and the arrest of prominent opposition leaders and newspapermen .
In the succeeding months, the president issued presidential decrees in lieu of laws that used to be enacted by Congress. There followed rumors of arrests all over the country but there was no way to confirm such reports. To this day, we have only sketchy accounts of what was happening in the country during those years. There were official announcements of the trial by a military court of Senator Aquino, his detention for the next eight years in military camps, and his conviction to die by firing squad.
Martial law was officially lifted on January 17, 1981, but President Marcos’ “authoritarian government” continued until the People Power Revolution of 1986. Senator Aquino was allowed to seek US treatment in 1980 after he suffered a heart attack in prison. He returned on August 21, 1983, only to be shot dead at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport.
These are among the known facts about martial law but there were thousands of others who were also detained during that period. Other government officials like Senate President Gil Puyat went quietly into retirement. Their stories and those of so many others have never been written down.
Since 1986, the nation has been so relieved over the end of martial law, wishing perhaps to forget all about it that many details of what actually happened remain hazy to this day. Perhaps the new course on the Marcos martial law that will begin next semester at UP will open the door to research, to official accounts, to a recalling of actual incidents by those actually involved.
From all these sources of information that may come up in the new course at UP, we may one day have a historical account of what truly happened, as part of the lessons for all students, not just at the UP, and of the history of our nation.
Over the years, the Philippines has commemorated the declaration of Martial Law every September 21.
However, the government’s Official Gazette said the late President Ferdinand Marcos officially placed the country under Martial Law on September 23, 1972.
“President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, placing the Philippines under Martial Law. Some sources say that Marcos signed the proclamation on September 17 or on September 22—but, in either case, the document itself was dated September 21,” the Official Gazette said.
The government said Marcos officially announced the declaration of Martial Law through a television broadcast on September 23, 1972 at 7:15 p.m.
On the day Martial Law was declared, public utilities were shut down, media outlets were ordered closed, and about 8,000 personalities were arrested. See the infographic below to see the events that happened on that day.
