1972 Martial Law: Erroneously Commemorated

(Letter to the Editor) by: Marion O. Santos from Casiguran, Aurora

On September 21, 1972, Proclamation 1081 was signed by the late President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. declaring Martial Law in the Philippines. From then, different stories came out from the people who experienced it and it was passed on and on and became one of the unforgettable memories in history. But what really happened? Why is martial law declared? Who is behind the reason why martial law is declared?

Others blame President Marcos, Sr. for declaring Martial Law for making the Filipino people miserable during that time but others also thank it for making their lives safe and protected. Others claim it as a sign of being a dictator of Marcos, Sr. and only wants to have personal gains but others also claim that he did it for the Filipino people, thinking it was for their welfare and the common good.

Basing it from the video clips, articles, and documentaries that were published over the internet and the print media, Martial Law was declared because of the conspiracies that is happening during that time just to overthrow the government. And we all know that Marcos, Sr. didn’t decide to declare martial law alone, it was the decision of both the legislative and executive branches before he announced it.

To prove my point, Martial Law was declared to protect the Philippines and the Filipino people from being destroyed and deceived by Jose Maria Sison or Joma Sison who is the brain of all the terroristic acts of the Communist Insurgents. Undeniably, they recruited youth, men, and women as organizers for their erroneous ideology until such time that they will be integrated into the armed- struggle and rage war against the government.

50 years have passed and not even once was it turned over to the lawless elements trying to overtake the government. The Filipino people are already tired and fed up with their unending exploitation of local issues. Never again will the Filipino people be deceived that Martial Law is an evil strategy of the government but it is a way of preserving the integrity of the Constitution and suppressing the communist insurgency in the country.

In the first place, those who intend to destroy the government will never win! Those people who claim to hate war actually hate peace- they only want power and authority. It’s very ironic that they, who shout to stop the war, are the ones who ruin the peace. Let’s just accept the truth, that even if it hurts, the public should be aware of these deceptive organizations and their erroneous ideology. That whatever they are fighting for will only lead to nowhere but desolation and disappointment.

I enjoin everyone to join hands in combating the lawless elements of our society. We should condemn them for sobering terror, creating disunity, manipulating, and taking advantage of innocent people who do not have knowledge of what is really going on. After all, Martial Law has its good side and the Filipino people are spared from misery at the hands of these lawless elements. ###