The Philippine 1972 Martial Law History

On the evening of September 23, 1972, exactly 7:15 pm, President Ferdinand E. Marcos proclaimed Martial Law under the Proclamation No. 1081 which was signed and dated on September 21, 1972.  I was turning 2 years old that year and I know nothing about what's going on in my country.  I was born on October 24, 1969 in Olongapo City.  

Being born before the Martial Law was declared, I never experienced any or heard any of the claims of Martial Law's victims against Human Rights. It was a peaceful environment.  All I can remember is that, our parents would lock the gate and no one is allowed to go out from 7 pm onwards.  It was kind of a disciplined culture of prohibiting kids and adults from going out.  In fact, there was no reason to go out at all, unless you were about to do something illegal, immoral, or naughty. 

My family and I moved to San Felipe, Zambales where we were obligated to take the pieces of land which my grandmother Juling (pronounced as "Huling") had bestowed to my parents as insisted by my grandfather Juan that my father should have, being the oldest son in the family.  Though my father Ricardo was the second child and the eldest was a girl married to a Zambalenio who was first choice offered by my Lola Juling, but refused because she doesn't want to cultivate a barren, shrubby, hilly and scary land.  My Lolo Juan forced my family to take them and had them cultivated.  We left our house in Olongapo city and had no choice but to forsake our city life.  I was 6 years old that time. 

We had our simple nipa hut beside the house of my auntie Carmencita.  We used to call her Baby Ilocana.  My mother and kuya Tote would then go the the given lot, pulling out weeds, cutting trees to clear the area where we had our first house.  I helped in taking good care of my 2 siblings, Manny and Jong but also helped when all of us would go to that place. Few months later, we moved there.  But on our last day of shifting, we had to demolish our temporary shelter, our small nipa hut.  Auntie Baby Ilocana looked angry at that day, she started pushing the walls by a bamboo stick.  And I shouted because my brother Jong was still in the cradle hung in two posts.  One of the sticks was falling directly to my brother in the cradle so I rushed and protected him with my hands.  I was hit in my arms by the stick and started to shout for help.  That's the time Auntie Ilocana stopped destroying our nipa hut.  I did not know what made her do what she did.  All I knew, she put us in danger and nearly killed my brother. 

My father agreed and accepted the lot because my grandparents promised that our house will be rented and the fee will be part of our monthly income.  My father that time was a jeepney driver.

So, we were already settled.  We had our new house built from woods with galvanized iron roof.  It was no more a nipa hut.  It was elevated by 2 feet from the ground and the 6 wooden posts of 6" x 6" were secured onto 6 cemented posts to keep them from water, bugs, termites, etc. The floor was made of wooden parques.  We had our improvised toilet.  It was a hole dug under the ground 1 meter wide and 2 meters deep.  It was covered with bamboo, galvanized and soil on top with a small hole in the middle where we pooped.  Of course there were walls surrounding it which were made up of few rusty G.I. and left over boards.  It did not have a roof.  The door was made of sack.  We lived in a typical province or village.  

Our surroundings had plenty of trees around like guava, old, big Blackberry trees, Bignay, Camachile,  Acacia, Banana, Bamboo, etc.  It was like we had a perfect place to live.

During those years, there was no sign of harm or danger of Martial Law.  It was all peaceful and people were disciplined and obedient.  It looked like everybody was abiding fully with the law of the land. 

So why should there be a Martial Law?

I had my interest on this subject when I reached high school.  I heard of the CPP-NPA or 

Truth or Fiction by Alvin Labios