Title: Martial Law: The Golden Age of the Philippines?

Thesis Statement: The proclamation of martial law has negatively affected the country’s
sociopolitical and economic status, and it should never be implemented again.

I. Introduction
A. Concept of martial law
B. Definition of martial law

II. Body
A. Counterarguments
1. Crime drop during the period
2. Rise of infrastructures
B. Arguments
1. Acts of torture and violence executed by the government
2. Debt-driven growth

III. Conclusion
A. Summary
B. Message
 Martial Law: The Golden Age of the Philippines?

Nearly five decades ago, former president Ferdinand Marcos declared Proclamation No.
1081, also known as martial law, which remains to be one of the darkest moments in Philippine
history. To this day, some still believe that the Marcos regime led the "golden age" of the
country; beyond the false utopia he had built lies a plethora of irreversible mistakes—corruption,
violence, ill-gotten wealth—that loyalists turn a blind eye on. It has gotten to the point where
these people are still in full support and encourage the repeat of this imposition, without
realizing that its effects haunt us to this date. The proclamation of martial law has negatively
affected the country’s sociopolitical and economic status, and it should never be implemented
again.

Martial law, as defined by Killam (1989), "involves the temporary substitution of military
authority for civilian rule and is usually invoked in times of war, rebellion, or natural disaster".
The purpose of this is to preserve the current administration and allow the military force to rule
over civilians. The Marcos administration utilized its ability to declare so, claiming that it was the
last resort to subdue and abate the rising insurgencies such as series of bombings in Manila,
the revolt of the student body (“Battle of Mendiola”), numerous threats of communist takeovers
from the then newly-formed Communist Party of the Philippines, and the uprising of Muslim
forces (or the Moro National Liberation Front) to call for independence. Questions then arose;
was it really for the betterment of the country or for the sake of stabilizing his authority?

Even so, it would not be just to say that Marcos’s decision to impose martial law was
only viewed in a negative light; based on the survey conducted by Social Weather Surveys in
1985, 37% of 2,000 adult participants agreed and supported its implementation, while 33%
opposed it and the rest were somewhere in between (Mangahas, 2017). Crime rates dropped
after the proclamation, infrastructures were built, and the country’s economy, at first, exhibited
growth. Living in that period in security and comfort, one might say that it was indeed the
country’s prime era—some still believe so to this day.

“Life was peaceful during Martial Law”. One of the aforementioned benefits of martial law
was the big drop in the country’s crime rate. Fidel Ramos, former chief of the Philippine
constabulary, reported that on October 9th, the crime rate had dropped from an average of 1,800
incidents a week before martial law was proclaimed to 48.5 weekly. Violent urban crimes were
suppressed by numerous police surges. Some officials were removed from service and put
behind bars due to corrupt acts, and others were left under investigation. Firearms were also
collected, the authorities reportedly garnering a total of 17,000 weapons of various types
(“Philippine aide reports”, 1972).

Moreover, the Marcos administration also spearheaded various projects that are
acknowledged and praised by supporters to this day. An incredible number of structures were
constructed under Marcos, ranging from public treatment facilities to cultural edifices. Marcos
was undeniably influential in the development of public infrastructure, with many of the roads
and structures built during his reign still in use today. (Martial Law Museum, n.d.). Marcos
apologists often use this to refute criticism; they tell non-supporters to refrain from using the
public works and facilities built during the Marcos regime. The term edifice complex was coined
in the 1970s to describe the scheme of the Marcoses, which influences such thinking.

However, it is imperative to know that these feats are the very hindrances that set our
country back for years; it was as if these implementations were used as cover-ups to hide the
anomalies that have been tarnishing the government. Francisco (2016) wrote that despite the
significant decrease in criminal activity during the military rule, numerous accounts of torture
and violence executed by the government were unveiled. About 70,000 people were imprisoned
and 34,000 were subject to torture, while 3,240 were killed from 1972 to 1981. The stories of
those who fought for freedom during this period—such as Lily Hilao, Archimedes Trajano, and
Boyet Mijares—constantly remind us of the monstrosity that was Martial Law. These immoral
acts were kept in the dark for decades; press freedom was non-existent during this gruesome
event. There are still many voices left unheard, and there is justice ought to be served. During
this dark chapter of Philippine history, thousands of people suffered at the hands of an
administration that washed its sins away with wealth and corrupted the minds of the citizens.

The infrastructures built during martial law, or Marcos’s reign in general, are the biggest
examples of debt-driven growth; most of the funds came from foreign loans, which left the
country with an astounding amount of debt (approximately $28.3 billion) at the end of this
authoritarian’s term. Some of these structures were not even put to good use—the Bataan
Nuclear Power Plant, for example, was immediately shut down due to its possible hazardous
effects on the environment. It is now abandoned and nothing more than just a tourist spot, with
the government spending about fifty million pesos on annual maintenance (Martial Law
Museum, n.d.). The faster the administration ordered for these buildings to be finished, the
deeper the country went into debt. This is the fruit of sacrificing long-term benefits for short-term
satisfaction.

That being the case, is the time of martial law truly the golden age of our country? The
answer to this is simple. Look at the numbers, for they do not lie. Data and statistics cannot be
biased. From the increase in the number of families below the poverty line, the decline in the
daily wages of Filipino workers, the inflated prices of goods all during this era, and to this day,
the debt we have yet to pay off—they all speak for themselves. Keep in mind that all that glitters
is not gold; such garish acts only attract those who want to be blinded.

In essence, Proclamation No. 1081 is just the result of poor governance and the
consequences of depriving the Filipinos of free will and the right to use their voices. It has been
the talk of the town yet again, and to prevent this from happening once more, we must speak up
and be resilient; we need a worthy leader to aid us in this fight against injustice, malice, and
corruption as well. Use this moment as an opportunity to ponder on the choice that you will
make. History must never repeat itself. Never forget, never again.
References

Francisco, K. (2016, September 22). Martial law, the dark chapter in Philippine history. Rappler.

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/martial-law-explainer-victims-stories

Killam, E.W. (1989). Martial law in times of civil disorder. Law and Order, 37(9), 44-47.

https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/martial-law-times-civil-disorder

Mangahas, M. (2017, June 10). Opinion polls about martial law. Inquirer.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/104664/opinion-polls-martial-law

Martial Law Museum. (n.d.-a). Edifice complex: Building on the backs of the Filipino people.

https://martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/edifice-complex-building-on-the-backs-of-the-

filipino-people/

Martial Law Museum. (n.d.-b). Martial law in data. https://martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/martial-

law-in-data/

Philippine aide reports big drop in crime rate. (1972, October 10). New York Times, 3.

https://www.nytimes.com/1972/10/10/archives/philippine-aide-reports-big-drop-in-crime-

rate.html