The Fake Ambushed of Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile on Sept. 21, 1972 & Some Happenings During those Years

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   30- The Fake Ambushed  of  Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile on September 21, 1972 and   Some Happenings  During those Years          

In  1985  their were  hard  conflicts  between President Marcos and   Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile. This happened  when Secretary Enrile and Gen. Fidel Ramos decided  to get out from Marcos and joined the People Power that started to  massed at  Edsa, in response to Cardinal Jaime Sin’s call.  The  people movement was needed to protect  Enrile, Ramos and his group from possible attacked by the  army of President Marcos and Gen. Fabian Ver.

This time, Defense Secretary  Enrile revealed to  the people and media, a secret he kept for years, from 1972 to 1986.   He reported to media his attacked  by assassins that September 21, 1972 but he was not hit. Six hours after his reported assassination attempt, President Marcos declared martial law.    

In  1985, Defense Secretary Enrile, told the media that the  assassination   attempt on his life in Septembe 1972, was not true. It was only a joke.  There was never an  assassination   attempt on his life.  He  just   created this story with  President  Marcos  to give them strong reason to declare martial law.

For  14 years, from  September 1972 to  mid-1986, the  story of Defense Secretary Enrile’s assassination attempt   was believed by millions of  people,  including some members of  the press. This was  how  blatant a liar Defense Secretary Enrile was. His ability to fool millions of Filipinos to believe his assassination story,  was  really incredible. Secretary Enrile, I think, made intelligent and   decisive  plans  to greatly benefit  him  with the  declaration of martial law.

With  President Marcos declaration of Martial Law,  Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, transformed himself the   second most powerful man,  if  not on   the same level of power with President Marcos.  

Immediately, after martial law  declaration,    Defense Secretary Enrile became the Chief implementor of martial rule.  He, with President Marcos were  the  minds, spirits  and power that galvanized  martial rule.  They both were  behind the arrests, killings,  disappearance  and death of thousands of militants  and progressive  elements in the country  from 1972 to 1986.

  Most of those who  were  imprisoned,  tortured, died, raped and missing have the impremature of his power and authority.  President Marcos   gave the order.    Defense Secretary Enrile  implements  the orders.  The orders were immediately carried by their henchmen.

First on the list to be arrested in September 21, 1972  was Senator Ninoy Aquino. He was considered Marcos most prominent political rival.  He was arrested at Hilton Hotel in Manila by the military, while he was about to deliver a speech.

The press reported  that at  1:00 a.m. to 4 a.m. September 21, 1972, President  Marcos ordered all his political opponents  rounded up, all schools in Manila  closed and all communications and public utilities placed under government control.

At 1 a.m. of  September 21,   Senator Jose Diokno was arrested at his residence.  At 2:00 a.m. Sen. Francisco  (Soc) Rodrigo was arrested.  At 4 a.m.,   Camp  Crame  gymnasium was getting crowded with  those  arrested  and detained for subversion and rebellion.

Those arrested,  included Sen. Ramon Mitra,  Sen. Sergio Osmena, Jr.,  Eugenio Lopez, Jr., a businessman,  teacher Etta Rosales and Lawyer Haydee Yorac, Journalist Amando Doronila and other prominent Marcos opponents, outspoken journalists,  labor union leaders and  militants students and leaders of out-of-school youths.

There were also delegates to the 1971 Constitutional Convention who were  arrested and detained when martial law was declared.   Rev. La Verne Mercado, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, called by  military  as front of the Communist Party of the Philippines  was  arrested and detained.

From   6:00 a.m. of that day,  TV and radio stations  were silent. Television sets were blank.  Newspapers were not able to print and publish.  No newspapers on news stands.   The “first months of martial law”, journalists said, were  among the darkest days in the country. Airline flights were suspended indefinitely suspended indefinitely. Overseas telephone operators refused  to accept incoming calls. There were  no immediate official announcement  of the declaration  but news about what happened,  while the  people were sleeping, spread   across the country fast.

It was reported  that  eight major national English newspapers in Manila,  Eighten (18) vernacular newspapers  were closed down. Sixty (60)  community/ provincial  newspapers, 66 TV channels, 20  Manila radio stations and 292 provincial radio stations were closed down soon after the imposition of martial law.

In Iloilo City  on that day,  there  was no news and  no  newspapers. Radio and  TV stations  were silent. It was only several days later, where radio stations were allowed to open, and gave music to listeners. Only  after about 15 days, the Philippine  Daily Express, a new publications came out and circulated   nationwide. The  Daily  Express was was a   newspaper  under the full control of President Marcos’s cronie, Roberto Benedicto, a  land owner in   Bago City, Negros Occidental  with  vast business conglomirates in Visayas and Manila.

We heard in Iloilo and  Panay  the   arrests and detentions of activists, labor union leaders, KM members, students and professionals, members of the press and media and  vocal critic of Marcos before September 21, 1972 and thereafter. 

Some of those  arrested  in Iloilo were student activists.  former HUK  and PKP leader Coronacion Chiva (Commander Walingwaling) who was arrested in  Alibunan, Calinog   Rev. Delfin Dianala, a 71 year old pastor of Katipunan  Baptist Church in Tapaz,  Capiz was arrested and detained in Military Stockade together with hundred youth leaders in  Iloilo.

 In about   3 –week    time, the  Military Stockade of Camp Delgado  was full with detainees.   In a month’s time, several thousands of home made guns, were surrendered  by the people   from all towns and villages in Iloilo.  These were stock piled in one area of  Camp Delgado.

The  the military’s propaganda office in Western Visayas,  headed by a military officer carry tape recorded messagesradio and TV stations, calling all residents to surrender their arms to the police or military. They were  to  surrender all their weapons,  genuine and home made to the military and police. The propaganda was strong. It carried a deadly  message.

It called all who have arms to surrender their arms immediately to the police or  military. It’s warning was clear. “ The place where you hide your guns will the place where you body will be buried”.    Some original  firearms were kept by the people. But some were  surrendered to military.

 Some guns, genuine and home made, from the villages and towns were given by the people to  the newly organized and trained NPA forces in the hinterlands of Iloilo and Panay.  These were situations around,  days after martial law was declared nationwide.