UP Professors: Rebellion Not Solved During Martial Law; Marcos Not A Hero

Rebellion was not solved during martial law and even worsened the situation in the country, a historian said on Tuesday, Sept. 21, during the commemoration of the 49th anniversary of the declaration of military rule by then president Ferdinand Marcos.

Ferdinand Llanes, professor at the Department of History of the University of the Philippines (UP), explained martial law itself was the reason behind armed struggle among the people during the Marcos dictatorship.

“Hindi nasugpo ng batas militar ang mga rebelyon. Sa halip ay lumago nang lumago sa ilalim ng diktadurya,” Llanes said during a webinar series organized by UP on Tuesday.

“It is fair to state,” Llanes said, that communist rebellion was not the reason why martial law had to be imposed in 1972.

Citing the need to quell rebellion, Marcos suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus – a basic right in the Constitution that protects anyone against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment.

Llanes said Marcos wanted and had the power to control the government during martial law. He called this “constitutional authoritarianism” that allowed Marcos to exercise one-man dictatorial rule.

Tuesday’s webinar was part of the university’s weeklong virtual commemoration of martial law declaration that aims to honor the struggles of the Filipino people under the authoritarian regime and UP’s contribution to the uprising against the Marcos dictatorship.

With the theme, “Dambana ng Gunita: Mga Batayang Katotohanan at Aral ng Batas Militar,” the program that started on Monday, Sept. 20, and will run until Sept. 24, aims to help expose martial law-related lies, disinformation and historical revisionism being propagated in various  media platforms.

One-man dictatorial rule

While he was implementing the “peace” order, Marcos began to perpetuate political violence against democratic institutions and the opposition, including activists who were critical of his government, according to the professor.

The professor cited the closure of television and radio stations as well as newspaper organizations as part of Marcos’ plan to rule the country on his own.

Llanes said even Congress was shut and the systematic elimination of critics and the opposition became clear.

Llanes added Marcos wanted to have absolute social and political control over the country.

In 1980, the professor underscored that the country had the worst social and political crisis during the post-war period, causing state violence among the people.

Llanes pointed out that the Marcoses and their apologists had been claiming that peace and order at the time was due to martial law as they tried to cover up the fact that the country’s coffers were plundered as critics and activists were silenced.

Llanes said “Marcosian peace” was actually state violence against the people.

“Ligtas sa mga maiingay na panunuri ng mga kritiko at aktibista. Ang kapayapaang diumano’y ilalatag ng batas militar tawagin ko itongMarcosian peace ay walang iba kundistate violence laban sa taong bayan,” he added.

Marcos is not a hero

During Monday’s webinar, UP Department of History professor Ricardo Jose said falsehoods about history still persist today due to fake news and trolls on social media.

But he stressed that Marcos was really not a hero.

“If you go to the historical basis, to the historical facts,makikita natin na talagang hindi bayani siMarcos,” Jose said during the virtual event.

As Marcos claimed that he was the number one veteran soldier in the Philippines during World War 2, Jose noted that historical facts would show that 11 out of 33 medals that he received were awarded in 1963, almost 20 years after the war.

“[The claims] were actually siya ‘yung may pinakamaramingmedals sa lahat ngveterans of the Philippines. One account is 27, one account is 33 supposed medals, among them the Philippines’ highest award for valor,” he said.

According to Jose, only two medals were awarded during the war, in mid-1945, for guerilla operations in Northern Luzon.

“We don’t have citations for the US medals yet. And when we look at the medals themselves, the basis for the medals were questionable, especially for the medal for valor,” Jose said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“Makikita natin sa mgapictures nung 1960s and 1970s, siya nga ‘yung No. 1 veteran hero noongWorld War 2. Many people were convinced, including the United States, pati nga ‘yungArmed Forces of the Philippines,” he added.

To control the veterans’ narrative, he said, Marcos' government solidified and centralized the veterans’ affairs during martial law so they could not criticize the government.

Marcos also claimed he received his Medal of Valor, the highest medal among other recognitions in the Philippines during the war era, after he postponed the Fall of Bataan for two or three months in 1942.

Jose said the Medal of Valor was awarded to Marcos in 1958, 16 years after the event, when he was then a senator.

Japanese forces would even say that the claim of Marcos that he got the prestigious Medal of Valor was not true, the professor said.

He also shared that the Philippine Veterans Bank, a bank that was built for veterans, was used as a “milking cow” for Marcos’ political aims. “So when martial law ended, the Philippine Veterans Bank was almost bankrupt.”

Some true heroes during World War 2 were not given credit while others were attacked, imprisoned, and migrated to seek exile in the US, according to the professor.

Myths

Based on some accounts, Marcos was imprisoned in Fort Santiago in Manila and became a leader of Ang Maharlika Guerillas. He also claimed that he fought at the Battle of Bessang Pass, a very important victory for Filipinos in World War 2, in 1945. 

In 1986, American historians found out that the Maharlika Guerilla Group was “fictitious” and it was not recognized by the US, Jose said.

It was also concluded that Marcos was not there during the Battle of Bessang Pass as he was far from the location.

Another story was that then Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita surrendered to Marcos in September 1945. But facts, later on, came out that Yamashita did not do so.

“Noong 1986, lumabas‘yung balita na-declassify ‘yung mgarecord at na-disprove ‘yung mga claims niMarcos and that would cause him his credibility after all,” he said.

Failure of past administrations

Although post-EDSA administrations were able to reinstate traditional democratic institutions, Llanes lamented that the past leaderships failed to hold Marcoses accountable for their wrongdoings during the martial law, including political violence.

The past governments after the dark period were also not able to teach the next generations the history of corruption and the lessons that could be derived from the murderous authoritarian regime during the martial law, Llanes said.

As a result, the professor noted that forms of political violence in the country like red-tagging and extrajudicial killing continue to occur in the present time.

“Hindi rin nagawang ituro sa mga sumunod na henerasyon ang memorya at mga aral ng marahas na paghaharing Marcos at kanilang mga katiwalian,” Llanes said.

Strengthen democratic institutions, mass movement

Dr. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, professor at the UP Department of Political Science, said democratic institutions must be strengthened and protected as well as open legal avenues to avoid armed conflicts that cost human lives and students’ education.

“So para sa akin, ‘yan nga ‘yung kailangan nating protektahan ngayon itongopen legal avenues, itongopen mass movement natin kasi ito ‘yung mag-a-avoid ng isa pang mahabang giyera na nakita natin sacost sa human lives, intergenerational cost sa pag-aaral ng mga estudyante,” she explained.

Now that extrajudicial killing is rampant due to the anti-drug war campaign of the current administration, Ferrer said it is important that mass movement or civil society groups are protected.

Ferrer noted the attacks against the media, the harassment of the opposition, red-tagging and extrajudicial killings are “recreating the same conditions that generated the growth of rebellions” in the 1970s.