Life Controlled By The Military: Good or Bad?

An unnerving feeling travels through Francisco Morales' as his tired eyes focus on my hand going towards the video camera. He sighs with reluctance to show his face while talking about his life during the Marcos Regime in the Philippines. I assure my grandpa that I'll keep the cover on the camera, only to project a blank screen when played back.  His shoulders slowly descend to a level of comfort, with the sun shining accentuating his person, he looks ready and eager to begin telling a story of a time in which military reigned supreme.

During the first term of Marcos` presidency, life was ok. There were plenty of opportunities for growth, business was good because of investor’s confidence, and investors were coming in. He was able to project a good image for the Philippines in the international setting. However, the other half of his ten year was not as good as it was during the first half because of certain bad influences and the negative effects of Martial Law.

Martial Law is the position of military rule over the civilians’ rule. The constitution was suspended for a brief period of time and president Marcos ruled by issuing decrees. He dissolved congress but after a while there was a constitute and an assembly and at the same time they elected the representatives to the Batasang sa Pambansa, the law making body. But by in large president Marcos ruled by decrees and –for your information –most of the decrees issued by Marcos is still in effect and it’s still being used up to now.

Life didn’t change so much if you’re not a night person. Lifestyle of the night persons were drastically changed because of the eleven p.m. curfew and working people like us benefited a lot from this because we were able to rest for a longer period of time. If you stay out after the curfew, you’ll be detained until four o clock in the morning. And then your record will checked. If you have a criminal record you’ll be detained and be charged again. But if you don’t have one, you’ll just be detained from eleven or after eleven o clock until four o’clock . And then you will be sent home with a warning.

Freedoms were not really limited. You’re allowed to move around. You can do business, you can travel anywhere you want to go. And you can do almost anything you want to do except during curfew.

Compared to the abuses of the press people now, the control was much better than what it is now. Because now it is the private interest groups that would dictate what the reporters would write and that’s even worse than being controlled by the president. So now you don’t know the truth really. You don’t know what’s behind the news already because it’s being distorted.

Even now you don’t abuse the occupant of the highest position in the land with verbal abuse. You were allowed to a certain extent but there is a process. And in a democratic society you know the process will have to be followed. If you want liberties you have to be accountable. Just like here in the United States you cannot just hurl verbal abuse against president Bush without being held accountable.

Only the criminal elements have a continuing fear of the police even up to now. This was good for business since there was law and order. Also police abuses were curved by the military. If you will recall, the police were under the mayors and they acted as private securities of the mayor in the different towns and cities.

Had Martial Law continued it would have been good because we could have had the success of Singapore. It instilled a lot of discipline among people. If you go to the Philippines now you will see lack of discipline because of lack of the will to really govern.

By in large, majority of the people liked Marcos, but if you will relate it to what happened during the people’s power revolt, there were only a very few compared to the entire population who went there. It was just magnified by the local and the foreign press. And most of those who went there were not the common people, not the masses that they call but more of the elite. And then they funded a lot of people coming in. But by in large even up to now president Marcos would command certain respect and leadership.

 

There were elections during Marcos’ time, the Batasang sa Pambansa election and the snap election for the presidency. The Batasang sa Pambansa election was called to have something similar to the U.S congress, but it is a unicameral body, meaning one body only. You don’t have the house of the representatives and the senate. You only had the house for the assembly men, similar to the representatives. They called an election and it was constituted. The snap election was called because the Unites Stares under president Reagan pressured Marcos to hold a snap election; a snap election was done to elect the president because Reagan said, “Oh , enough of your rule. Let’s see if you’re really loved by your people.” So an election was held and Cory Aquino ran against him.

Well considering that Cory Aquino isn’t known in the provinces and –hold on –you must remember that  Philippines is composed of 7200 islands and Cory Aquino is only known in Luzon as a landowner. As a big landowner. So I would like to believe it was a fair one because she lost where she is not known.

Marcos’ dictatorship ended because of the People Power Revolt. Because of the EDSA. After losing, Cory Aquino called for civil disobedience, identifying even Coca Cola not to be not to be patronized by Filipinos because Coca Cola is partly owned by a colony of Marcos. So there was a civil disobedience and then there was a band wagon effect in Luzon only, in the national capital region. And they were supported by both Fidel Ramos and Juan Enrile. Enrile and Ramos barricaded themselves in the camp and the people protected them fro the military arm of Marcos. But after three days I think Marcos was convinced by Reagan to fly to Hawaii and leave the Philippines. And he died in Hawaii. So that’s how his rule ended.

Interview by Reiko Ortega