OpinionsEcon 10136 years: Beyond forgetting

36 years: Beyond forgetting

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Where were you on Aug. 21, 1983? For that historical moment, the nation had its conscience awakened after more than a decade of deep slumber, living under Marcos’ Martial Rule.

Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. was an indefatigable, strong figure of the Opposition, critic of then-President Ferdinand Marcos.

He was exiled to the US after suffering a heart attack in 1980. Upon returning to the Philippines in 1983 at the Manila International Airport (now renamed Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his honor), he was escorted off the plane by personnel of the Aviation Security Command, covered live by foreign journalists who came with Aquino on the flight, but was shot, and his body dropped on the tarmac.

The rest is history; no amount of media spin or fake news can take away that memorable spark that lit several protests at his funeral, leading to the conduct of the snap presidential elections, rigged in favor of Marcos. The resulting exposure of massive cheating awakened the millions of Filipinos who eventually mounted the 1986 EDSA Revolution, installing the real winner, Cory Aquino, to the Presidency.

Those who lived through those the bloody Martial Law years had vowed Never Again!

These indelible moments need to be told and retold, as there is an attempt to rewrite and revise the Marcos Martial Law narrative.

To remind the nation, consider these parallel facts: Ferdinand Marcos, a young lawyer, started in the Philippine House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959, then the Senate from 1959 to 1965, elected President in 1965 when the economy was on the rise, the dollar-peso exchange was one is to one. Within the ensuing years, there was an economic downturn due to cronyism, rampant graft and corruption, dismal human rights violations, disappearances and extrajudicial killings, insurgency; all leading to capital flight, loss of livelihood, extreme poverty, and a crushing debt crisis.

Due to the communist menace, Marcos declared Martial Law on Sept. 21, 1972, revamped the Constitution, clamped down on legitimate media, imprisoned the political opposition, abducted even student oppositionists who were later found dead or remain missing to this day; subjected Muslims, communists, and vocal citizens to ASSO (Arrest, Search & Seizure Order) — meaning, virtually anyone could be detained for no specific reason.

In a 1973 referendum, Martial Law was said to have been ratified by 90.77 percent of the voters through a raising of hands, documented with their pictures taken during barangay assemblies.

When asked by journalists what happened during such assemblies where they were raising hands, the voters responded: “We were asked to raise our hands if we were hungry!”

Only the assassination of NinoyAquino and the resulting economic collapse in 1983 pricked the conscience of the nation, as this was an insult to the Filipino culture and democratic values.

Enraged, the nation, led by the middle class and the business district in Makati, started to chant: “Tama na! Sobra na! Palitan na!”

According to court records, the Marcos family stole from the Philippine coffers around US$5 to 10 billion between 1965 to 1986.

“Imeldific”originated from the over-the-top decadent lifestyle of then-First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos.

And they have all come back to the Philippines after 1986, including now-Sen. Imee Marcos, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. who believes he was cheated in the race for the country’s vice presidency; their children and other relatives are now active in Philippine politics.

Never forget!

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Author’s email: [email protected]

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