Martial Law Rallyists Renew Calls Versus Corruption

Sectoral groups marked the 54th anniversary of the declaration of martial law with renewed calls for accountability for corruption, saying the fight against government abuse must continue amid heightened security around Malacañang and restrictions imposed on protests on Monday, Sept. 21.

Bayan president Renato Reyes Jr. and human rights group Karapatan criticized the government’s security preparations for the rallies. Bayan said the anniversary should serve as a strong reminder of what he described as continuing corruption, repression and foreign influence under the Marcos administration.

Malacañang was placed under lockdown for the expected protests, with police deploying more than 17,000 personnel in Metro Manila. The Palace said the measures were intended to ensure public safety while respecting the rallyists’ constitutional right to peaceful assembly.

Reyes said the government should address corruption and other grievances that have driven people to the streets, instead of focusing primarily on the protests.

He said the groups during Monday’s demonstrations marched from Liwasang Bonifacio to Mendiola to mark the declaration of martial law in 1972 and last year’s massive anti-corruption protests.

“The protesting people are not the problem. The Marcos regime is,” Reyes said, adding that the demonstrations were driven by anger over corruption and other issues.

He also criticized the government’s security preparations, saying they should not be used to discourage people from protesting.

Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said the lessons from martial law include the importance of defending the right to protest, particularly when people are demanding accountability from those in power.

“Martial law taught us that the Filipino people will rise up under a government that silences those who demand accountability for its crimes and injustice,” Palabay said.

Karapatan also criticized road closures and other restrictions imposed for Monday’s rallies as well as the suspension of classes in Manila.

“We do not need permission from those in power to demand accountability,” Palabay said. “We have the right to question government policies, expose corruption, criticize officials and take to the streets when our voices are ignored.”

The group said the protests come amid renewed public anger over alleged corruption in flood control and infrastructure projects.

Palabay said the anniversary should not be limited to remembering the abuses committed during the dictatorship of the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., but should also prompt vigilance against present-day abuses.

“The right to protest exists precisely so that people can challenge abuses of power. It is not a privilege that the government may grant, restrict or withdraw depending on whether it likes the message being raised,” she said.

Bayan, meanwhile, joined the KBKK (Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot) rally at Liwasang Bonifacio before marching to Mendiola.

Rallies peaceful

The rallies were peaceful, according to the PNP.

“Very peaceful, very orderly,” PNP spokesman Col. Allen Rae Co said during a news briefing at Camp Crame.

Co, however, said there was a commotion along Recto Avenue in Manila when police apprehended a protester who spray-painted a center island.

The individual was freed after rally organizers negotiated for his release. He was given a stern warning.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said police commanders were ordered to observe maximum tolerance and exercise sound judgement on the ground.

“We recorded 12 rallies all over NCR and all of these ended peacefully. There were no recorded violent incidents and everything was orderly where the rallies occurred,” NCRPO director Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano said.

Groups led by Sanlakas marched along España Boulevard in the morning to demand accountability from the Marcos administration.

Unions and workers’ associations staged a rally in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Intramuros in the afternoon to demand living wages, decent jobs and respect for union rights.

Other progressive groups gathered in Liwasang Bonifacio at 3 p.m. and compared the impunity during martial law to the widespread corruption in the current administration.

Members of Mansaway, an Aeta organization from Central Luzon, criticized the environmental projects of the administration, including the critical minerals industry policy and Pax Silica.

The situation in Manila was far better than last year when masked rallyists threw molotov cocktail bombs and rocks at the police along Recto and Mendiola.

MPD chief Brig. Gen. Arnold Santiago said rallyists were barred from getting near Mendiola, where a battalion of police was stationed and barbed wires barriers were installed.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) remained on heightened alert as it braced for public assemblies expected in parts of Metro Manila, with authorities saying they were ready for sudden security threats while allowing peaceful protests.

Abrahano said police had not monitored any specific threat but were maintaining a “guarded vigilance” posture and had contingency plans in place.

Never forget

Senators recalled the abuses committed during the martial law regime of the late Marcos Sr.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros called on the public to never forget the atrocities committed during martial law as she commemorated the People Power movement that toppled the former dictatorship.

“We should not allow the memories and the lessons from that dark and shameful period of our history to be forgotten. Then and now, we Filipinos have to resist,” she added.

Hontiveros said the public should continue the fight against corruption, impunity and hold the government accountable.

Calling himself a “martial law baby,” Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said the young generation should learn the lessons from martial law.

“Fifty-four years after the declaration of martial law, perhaps this is one of the responsibilities of our generation: to examine what we inherited, what we helped build and what we are now passing on,” Cayetano said.

Germany: Active remembrance needed

The German embassy joined Filipinos in remembering the declaration of martial law, saying it is a reminder that a free society is precious but it can also be fragile.

The embassy said Germany’s own past has taught them that “keeping democracy alive takes more than just looking back.”

“It requires active remembrance. Living out this memory means sharing real stories, asking honest questions and using what we learned from the past to defend human rights today,” the embassy said in a statement.

“The courage of those who stood up during the martial law years reminds us that memory must be an active, daily choice,” it said.

The embassy said Germany remains committed to supporting Philippine civil society, legal institutions and citizens. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, EJ Macababbad, Pia Lee-Brago, Andrew Ronquillo