M E M O R I E S: Life and Time of
Pastor Rudy Bernal, hia Glimpses on History&
The People’s Struggle for Freedom
Chapter 29 – President Marcos Declared Martial
Law September 21, 1972, Abolished
Congress, Put the Country Under His Rule &
the Growing Peoples’ Resistance
President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos
declared Martial Law all over the Philippines on the 14th year of
his presidency, September 21, 1972. His
presidency was said to have no precedence
in brutality, disappearances, killings, human rights violations and corruptions in the country’s history, after he
was forced to step down from power in 1985.
After being President for 13 years, from
his election 1965 until 1972,
President Marcos has tasted power and glory. He never experienced this in his life and it was believed, he wants this
power all his life. Martial Law, was his way to get power , after the Constitution prohibited his running for office after his 2nd term.
The power to control everything in the Philippines was foremost in the mind of President Marcos. Some said,
he wants to give this privilege, as inheritance to his wife and children. It was an investment, he has planned well in advance.
President Marcos had planned his declaration of martial law with deep study and greatest care, specially the consolidations of
this power, with total control of the military.
Some of his reasons,
were faked and initiated by the President
to give him reason to declare martial law. After he declared martial rule, he put the
whole country under his thumb. He
padlocked Congress.
He put his forefingers on the lips of the Supreme Court. He silenced
the press, radio and televisions. He put big businesses under
his fingers. Me tried
to play with the church.
There were circumstances, however, that made
easier his declaration of martial
law. For instance in 1970, Lieut. Victor
Corpus, an instructor of the Philippine
Military Academy in Baguio City, led a
group of New People’s Army and raided the PMA
armory, took rifles, submachine guns, grenades and
grenade launchers, a bazooka and several thousand rounds of bullets and brought it to the NPA camp
in the mountains of Northern Luzon.
In early 1972, there were reports China supported
the revolutionary movement in the Philippines, tried to helped transport some 1,200
M-14 and M-47 rifles to the NPA to strengthen their fighting capabilities. It
was reported however, the rifles did not reached the NPA after
government forces captured the boat
loaded with guns, capsized somewhere in northern Luzon beaches.
Sen. Benigno
Aquino, Jr., in a privileged speech in the Senate earlier, warned
that President Marcos will establish a
“garrison state” and declare
martial law. Senator Aquino said
the threat of communist takeover
following series of bombings in Manila were just part of President Marcos designs
to give him the power to rule the country by martial rule.
When he declared martial law, there were few NPA in
the country. In 1971, the New People’s Army had less than 100
fighters. The Communist Party of
the Philippines was just re-organized in
December 1968, and it was still struggling with the leadership of the old Partido Komunista ng
Pilipinas (PKP).
Circumstances changed the situation in the country. After
President Marcos declared Martial
Rule, thousands
of KM and SDK members in the country, went
to the hills and submerged with the people both in the cities and the
countrysides. They were soon
transformed to CPP cadres and NPA
fighters. They mobilized and trained thousands
of revolutionary fighters in the people’s liberation struggle and the fight for national democracy.
Many believed, the
many bombings in Metro Manila, including the bombing of Plaza Miranda were
planned by top operatives of President Marcos and Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile. It was carried by there henchmen to
make people believed that there was conspiracy and gave him easy
way to declare martial law.
The bombings in Metro Manila
were believed made by his trained operators,
to establish in people’s
mind there were indeed
an existence of rebellion and
imminent danger of Communist takeover.
Sen. Benigno
Aquino was reported a communist. But many did not believed this. For
Ninoy Aquino, was a politician who knew how to mobilized
wide sectors of citizens for his dream to be
president. He worked with the Kabataang Makabayan (KM), in many parts of the country. He asked them to help him in his political campaigns, by building a
strong opposition to President Marcos leadership. But Sen. Ninoy Aquino, by his way of life and
financial power, could never ba communist.
The Kabataan Makabayan (KM)
before September 1972 was a militant and legal organizations that have joined the opposition to fight President Marcos who has galvanized his leadership for
continued rule of the country.
I remembered in mid-1969,
when I was in Iloilo City,
Senator Ninoy Aquino arrived. He
was meeting the leaders of Kabataang Makabayan at River Queen
Hotel. They have a series of
consultations that day. By
that time, KM had emerged
as the strongest student movement
in Iloilo and Panay, with militant orientations, participating
forcefully in the legal and
parliamentary efforts for social and
political change. I was not
privy to the discussion of Ninoy
Aquino with the KM. .
On August 21, 1971, during the “Miting de Avance” of the
Liberal Party in Plaza Miranda, in
Manila a grenades exploded in the
meeting. Nine people were killed and more than 100 were wounded seriously. Some Liberal Party candidates were injured.
Seriously injured was Senator Jovito Salonga, who nearly died and
was greatly weakened. In his body lodged
several fragmentations grenade sharp
nails that he carried thru his life.
The Liberal Party blamed President Marcos for the Plaza Miranda bombings. But some in Marcos leadership said the Plaza Miranda
bombing was made by the communists under instructions of Professor Jose Ma.
Sison. This press
report was not taken seriously by the public. One reason,
the man who was apprehended after the bombing of Plaza Miranda was a
soldier of the Philippine Army. Prof.
Jose Ma. Sison denied he has a hand in Plaza Miranda
bombing. And many believed him.
There were some 15 bombing incidents reported during the
months before September 1972.
In September 21, 1972, the newspapers reported
an assassination attempt on
Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile.
His car was shot. But he was not hit or injured.
Six hours after the reported
Enrile assassination attempt, President
Marcos declared Martial Law through out the
country. He suspended the 1935 Constitutions and dissolved
Congress. He immediately ordered
the military to arrest his political enemies, closed down all media and assumed absolute control
of the country. The rest was history
to be written.
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