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 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 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.
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