Listen. Can you hear that? It’s the sound of the wailings of the Martial Law Crybabies. One wonders why they need to wax crybaby ad nauseum over the “horrors” of them “Martial Law Years” to anyone who cares to listen when they’ve already spent hundreds of millions of pesos on monuments, statues, two Aquino presidencies, and even on entire broadcast media mega-corporations to channel their narrative to the Filipino public. Still all that isn’t enough. Instead of these investments yielding returns in the form of eliciting awe and reverence in Filipinos, they have become mere punchlines in the ongoing joke that is the Opposition Yellowtard “platform”.
The latest toy the Martial Law Crybabies now crow about is the so-called “Freedom Memorial Museum” to be constructed in the chi chi Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines.
“We want to translate the story of the martial law era into the architectural design, to give meaning and experience during martial law. It’s not our architecture, it’s the architecture of the Filipino people and our history,” [one of its architects Mark Anthony Pait] said.
Note that the design of the Freedom Memorial Museum depicts some sort of fist.
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
One wonders though. Shouldn’t the design be depicting the iconic “L” hand gesture of the Yellowtard “cause” rather than a fist that tends more to be associated to the personal brand of current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte? Then again who am I to comment on architectural concepts, right? The more important point here is this is just another new edifice commemorating the “brutal” government of former President Ferdinand Marcos and, of course, the “heroism” of the late former Senator Ninoy Aquino Jr seeing that “the restored Aviation Security Command (Avsecom) military van which brought Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.’s body to the hospital will serve as the museum’s centerpiece.” But of course, right?
Yellowtard memorial complex: It cannot be said that there are not enough ‘reminders’ of the ‘heroism’ of the Aquinos.
The real measure of how effective these “reminders” are will, of course, be how many votes the Martial Law Crybabies will be attracting come 2022. As with most elections, this is an important one. The Yellowtards will be running on the usual “No to Tyranny” platform and will likely draw political capital from these icons and monuments. Good luck with that. Perhaps it might help to at least include alternatives and solutions to the Opposition proposition. Then again that’s all too hard. Spending a million bucks — or ten — on another Yellowtard “memorial” is way easier.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
They built monuments, using our tax money, to delude us that, they are heroes and saints…Now, they will build a museum of Martial Law brutalities, at our expense…
If there were such brutalities; they would had arrested: Fidel Ramos, who was the jailer, and the “torturer during Martial Law years. They would had also arrested , Juan Ponce Enrile, who was the Secretary of Defense…he may had been responsible for the , murders and disappearance of people, as claimed by the YellowTards…
However, Fidel Ramos, became the “protector” of Cory Aquino…and Juan Ponce Enrile, continued his crookedness as a Senator…
The YellowTards have no political platform, to improve our lives , and our country…so, they use the “Martial Law Bogeyman”, to frighten us, so that we will vote for them…
We are not children to be frightened…we are responsible and thinking adults !!!
For every person that sees the Marcos and martial law era as a time of darkness, there will always be another who sees it as a time of order. Sorry kids, we can’t all be the same or see the world the same way, we need to learn to live with each other as different people.
That’s why I told them that never blame people who had different views about Marcos and the martial law era because they also have different experiences that, which is much more in a green light.
And if there is any guy would tell me that the Marcos era were bad because a prominent figure or a celebrity said it (even that idiot would hurl labels and insults like calling me ‘mangmang sa social media’), I always mention certain journalists like Bobit Avila, Alex Magno and guys like Francisco ‘Kit’ Tatad, Bobi Tiglao, and DFA Secretary Teddy Locsin, Jr.; especially the latter 3, where they also lived during that time. Tiglao is my favorite of the three.
What also really hurts is that these kind of people would go to the “appeal to the emotions” approach to make you feel bad about them and force you to believe on what they say. But we all know that we that we would never see what is really going on if we let our emotions got the better of us.
This is a good point you make here — that it is pointless (even outright wrong) force-feeding a “standardised” regard for the “Martial Law Years” because different individuals experienced it in their own unique personal ways. This is a good notion truly worth exploring and expounding on further!
I had lived thru the Martial Law era…there were no darkness and brutalities. The people who were killing and terrorizing people, were the New Peoples’ Army rebels. They extorted “revolutionary taxes” . from people, who are rich and have businesses. They murder people , who did not cooperate with them…
Cory Aquino, released all these commie rebels, to continue their subversion and rebellion against the duly elected government…Cory Aquino, tried to restrain the AFP, from going after the NPA…
Fidel Ramos, who was the “jailer and the torturer” of these insurgents, complained to Cory Aquino, that he was fighting the insurgents, with “one arm, tied on his back”…
The CPP/NPA became stronger and stronger, because Cory Aquino, allowed them to become Legislators in Congress, by creating the “Partylist”…they were able to get funds from our taxes thru corrupt practices, and thru the Pork Barrel system…they have also commie legitimate fronts, using activism and rallies, to promote their commie agenda. UP was and still is, the academic refuge of these commies.
The Aquinos, the YellowTards, the oligarchy, the Roman Catholic “liberation theology” minded clergy, and some political opportunists are still the supporters of these commies…
We must be vigilant on these people who want to destroy our country !
You are right. My parents also have no problems during martial. They only said good things about it. They also added that only rebels view martial as it being dark and oppressing.
“I had lived thru the Martial Law era…” – 896Hyden963Toro99999
———-
Sorry, that is the only line in your post that I cannot contradict.
Martial law was bad. So bad that even Ferdinand Marcos ended it in 1981 when the country’s economy was on a decline.
But wasn’t there anything good that came out of martial law? Well, there were some positives because at the outset of the declaration or martial law everything changed is so far as social, political and economic chaos are concerned. Criminality went down, lots of unregistered firearms were collected and the government were able to put a dent on the communist insurgency’s armor, at least, in some areas. The economy, too, improved because of improved business confidence. People were introduced to a newfound kind of discipline.
But, alas, things were not maintained, sustained or cemented for good.
Just like anything that is new, it eventually got old and dirty and bad. Under martial law, the Marcos family, their close associates, including their military cronies and cohorts consolidated political and economic power among themselves which gave the public a rude awakening of what is really happening to the whole country.
Corruption in the bureaucracy was prevalent; the communist and moro insurgency got worst together with the physical decline of Ferdinand Marcos himself. The Assassination of Ninoy Aquino further drove the country into turmoil. And then things starts to appear like the government cannot anymore maintain its day to day normal activity without scandals erupting left and right. Is it Imelda running the country or Favian Ver? Was it Dancing or Enrile? Nobody knows. It’s total chaos. And then………..(I’m tired just read history books!)
Again, read my lips, martial law is bad.
Is this made in china?
Son, I wanna tell you that the Aquino-Cojuangco clan are also Chinese. Look it up.
Dad, Ma teresa is a son?! Hmm…
Dad, Ma teresa is a son?! Hmm…
Why isn’t the presidency taking advantage of the strong support from the public? It seems like this administration has allowed itself to be hijacked by the “losing opposition” over and over..
Aside from human rights violations, economic recession was also the product of dictator Marcos martial law years despite of having absolute power, that is, controlling the executive, legislative and judiciary departments of government. The worst came in 1981 when the Philippine economy hit below negative 10 that only repeated in this covid-19 period.
The Philippines started as a surging economic power in Asia second to Japan in 1960s when Marcos took over the presidency, only to be ended as the biggest disappointment as third world country in the world in 1986 after his reign for 20 years. This is hard truth no matter what color you are on. And we are talking here of his 20 years uninterrupted straight presidential runs that should have been one of the greatest opportunities the Philippines ever had to be catapulted on top of Singapore and South Korean economies, but NO!
Dictator Marcos was the start of the many reasons of Philippine economic collapse as third world country. In fact, the Philippines was already a third world country in his martial law years. OFWs started became more rampant in Marcos time in 1970s in order to generate foreign currencies to supposedly uplift the Philippine economy but it didn’t really help a lot.
Filipinos will never and should not forget Marcos and Martial Law horrors.
@Jason the YellowTard:
Your YellowTard Fantasy, of the Philippines, as progressive nation is from the “YellowTard Playbook”…
Corruption is the disease that plague the Philippines, ever since… Political opportunism also. Look at the : PhilHealth Fund thievery; the DAP; the PDAF; the Typhoon Yolanda Fund thievery; the Pork Barrel Bribery; etc…
There were “Martial Law horrors”, because the ,New Peoples’ Army , were killing and murdering people, who will not cooperate with them…They also murder people, who don’t contribute to their , “revolutionary taxes programs”. The New Peoples’ Army grew in strength, because Cory Aquino supported them, and made them legitimate…
It is insanity, to support people, who wanted to overthrow the government…and you are the President.
Unless, you are one of them….Cory Aquino and the Aquinos, were the “Trojan Horses” , of the NPA/CPP…until now, they are, together with the YellowTards, and the political opportunists.
We must all be vigilant on these people , or our country will be destroyed !
Aren’t you old enough not to know the Philippines was second to Japan before Marcos took over the presidency? Dictator Marcos was the first to destroy that trend.
If your conspiracy theory on Aquino-NPA/CPP link is true, we would be under socialism/communism political sphere by now, not democratic-republican Philippines as stated in the 1987 constitution. The fact that USA continues to support the Philippines after the toppled of Marcos dictatorship will seal the fate of any chance of Aquino-NPA communist link, which you try to regurgitate in your braincells less ideas.
And if it’s not for Martial law declared in 1972, we would be under socialism/communism political sphere. Two years prior before Martial law, there was the First Quarter Storm.
And I just want to remind you that Ninoy Aquino, the most prominent figure of the anti-Marcos struggle, was connected with everyone, including Reds.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/10/02/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/phd-thesis-details-ninoy-aquinos-collaboration-with-communist-party-npa/624846/
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/specialreports/198820/ninoy-networked-with-everyone-reds-included/story/
And when Marcos was toppled down, Cory freed Joma Sison and other members of the CPP so despite they were in exile, the New People’s Army is still active in the present day.
@Calibur, Thanks for the heads-up. Nice and explosive reading there!
Indeed, in the words of the author himself, Mr. Joseph Paul Scalice…
“Aquino’s failed bid for dictatorship is one of the gross miscalculations in Philippine political history; it proved so slight, so insubstantial, that most are unaware that it was even attempted.”
A PDF copy of his “Crisis of Revolutionary Leadership: Martial Law and the Communist Parties of the Philippines, 1957-1974” is freely available online.
https://www.josephscalice.com/
https://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/etd/ucb/text/Scalice_berkeley_0028E_17195.pdf
How could one man possibly execute all the alleged horrors of martial law? It’s apparent that the lunacy is coming from those who benefit from the anti-Marcos stories. They don’t encourage critical thinking and it’s no wonder why.
And why not? Wasn’t he the top of the command? And all orders came from him? And he will be primarily liable on the atrocities of martial law? And only him can continue or stop martial law? You sounded like you don’t know anything about command responsibility.
@Jason The YellowTard:
The U.S. was only interested in keeping their U.S. bases, here in the Philippiness. The U.S. will : “dance with the Devil, if it promotes its self interests”…
The Aquinos were the puppets of the oligarchy; the U.S./C.I.A. and are supporters of the NPA/CPP.
After Cory Aquino came into power; she released all commies, and exiled NPA Supremo. Jo Ma Sison to Amsterdam, Holland, with generous pensions, from our taxpayers’ money…The Aquinos released all commies, that were in detention. She “legitimized” them, thru the “partylist system”. Now , they get their funds , from our taxpayers’ money, to overthrow the government. They become the “Filipino Mafiosi…’, with their bankrupt commie ideology…
It is not a conspiracy theory…the commies are now in Congress and in the Senate…and they are using our taxes !
Without a doubt the top command will have some form of liability on the performance of his men. The most important decisions rests on that person due to the level of faith placed on him, and the execution of those decisions always comes with a price of accepting the consequence. Failing to act is definitely worse. You might know far more than I do. You should be welcome to share what you know here. I guess being judged is the price for speaking one’s mind.
When we follow your logic, “command responsibility” is like this:
Punish the one who ordered the deed and you let the doer of the deed scoot free.
There’s a reason why the Nuremberg trials being one of the most notable triumphs in human history because they punished EVERYONE who is involved in the Holocaust. In case you don’t notice. there is a thing called ‘Nuremberg defense’ – any official, any soldier who were accused of war crimes during that time, basically said the same plea while in court: “Befehl ist Befehl” (an order is an order; we were just following orders).
So yeah, you wanted Marcos be punished but you wanted to let Ramos and Enrile scoot free. Enrile was Minister of National Defense during that time, so he is the architect of martial law, as he claims. And Fidel Ramos was head of the Philippine Constabulary during the Martial law years.
What you’re showing is selective thinking.
That’s what I’ve been saying in my articles, too. “Command responsibility” was used as an excuse to exonerate many other people who actually pulled the trigger. And the idea that Marcos ordered all killings defies common sense.
You need to look at the bigger picture here.
You can never solely blame Marcos of the Philippine economic collapse. If anything, there’s political instability in the early 80s and the assassination of Noynoy Aquino had started it. As far as I know, any kind of political instability leads to things like higher inflation, etc.
We are still a third world country AFTER Marcos left and in case you don’t notice, the 1987 Constitution not only presents a flawed government system but also a flawed economic system; policies that allow Cory Aquino and her personal cronies to do their thing LEGITIMATELY that let the country go backwards for 30+ years while the rest of them got their kickbacks.
For your last paragraph, here’s a better idea: we should forget what is past and let’s move forward because STICKING to the past is a stupid way of trying to correct our mistakes since we are so inefficient of doing so, instead of look for a HOPE OF A FUTURE. The reason why we keep on forgetting the past and repeating it over and over is because we have no VISION of a FUTURE to look forward to.
You hated Marcos so much that you waste your time posting on this site. That reminds me, Cory Aquino ruled in fear and hatred of Marcos. No wonder why you lashed against two tainted surnames.
Yeah, history better be studied well so it can actually be used for dealing with present and future conditions. One camp says the other is denying the horrific events of martial while also denying other perspectives that can paint a clearer picture of that era. The field is more level now for discussions. That could be a good thing for everybody.
The very notion that the “Martial Law Years” caused the underdevelopment of the Philippines needs to be challenged. There are lots of variables that contribute to the success of failure of a society to prosper. It is, in fact, likely that whether or not Martial Law happened, the Philippines would still be a Third World country today.
You cannot compare the Philippines with Japan even if both were almost at the same starting point back in the 1950s. Japan was already a military and industrial power of its own right in the late 19th Century and already had the beginnings of a strong scientific and technological tradition — none of which the Philippines has EVER had; not even today.
Oh boy where do we begin? Just FYI the martial law years were heavily protectionist and anti-FDI which gave rise to crony capitalism. The decline didn’t only start with the 1987 Constitution. In fact, the damage, was already that severe before the BS 1987 Constitution came in. The Anti-FDI stance gave the crony capitalists the power they needed to enrich themselves at the expense of others. Again, you’re very anti-FDI aren’t you?
Whether FDI flows freely into the Philippines or not does not change the fact that Filipinos lack a tradition of achievement in the sciences and technology both of which underlie sustainable development.
The talents have been exported. And they do great service for the companies, and ultimately for that nation.
@benign0
Whether FDI flows freely into the Philippines or not does not change the fact that Filipinos lack a tradition of achievement in the sciences and technology both of which underlie sustainable development.
Well, for one a LACK of competition has actually caused the Filipino atmosphere to lack a tradition of achievement in the sciences and technology. Just think what do countries that have tradition of achievement in sciences and technology? FDI is part of the whole atmosphere. Just look at how South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan have it because they’re all free markets.
The Philippines would have been in a better position by now if not for martial law. The declaration of martial law was only for selfish gain by Marcos for prolonging his power. We could have 1972 presidential election if not for martial law.
Martial law did not achieve what it supposed to achieve in case of suppressing or eliminating communist insurgencies. In fact, at the start of New People’s Army, it has less than a hundred rebels of membership in the late 1960s. When Marcos was ousted in 1986, it balloned to 15,000 total rebels. While it became like that, civilian critics were the ones heavely suffered the brutalities of martial law more than what the rebels got.
The economy overall became stagnant. Park Chung Hee who ruled South Korea for straight 16 years with the same style as that of Marcos achieved what the economy of South Korea badly needed at that time, leaving the Philppine economy lagging behind. As I said already above, Marcos was the first who destroyed the trend of the Philippines going upward after world war 2 during his time and that’s a fact.
@Jason
Well for one, South Korea is an open free market economy and Marcos was a protectionist economy. Philippines could’ve recovered after 1986 if it engaged in free market economics.
At the very heart of the matter is the Filipino’s lack of a tradition of scientific and technological achievement and a sorry record of accumulating capital. Stated simply, Filipinos are (1) incapable of scientifically thinking their way out of paper bags and (2) cannot save (much more invest) for a rainy day if their future lives depended on it.
Benigno, you misconstrued a lot. Ordinary Filipinos are not mandated by law to be expected at the forefront of Philippine development such as the scientific and economic management, although they are encouraged to be a part, but no way they are held accountable on their own acts if they don’t pursue those kind of endevearos. On the other hand, those who are in government especially the President is mandated to execute the laws most specially that they have the budget and the power and arsenal needed to effect the change the Philippines badly needs.
If those on top officials don’t perform what they need to do under the laws, we won’t expect any progress in the Philippines no matter how ordinary Filipinos perform properly in their own lives. I have seen many Filipino professionals in all levels who have done their part to contribute to the community but such is not enough to take the country into a first world country especially if there are corruption issues in the government. At the end of the day, it still boils down to how the overall government took the mandate of the laws seriously and execute them properly.
How about the case of Russia? They have had to deal with a lot of instability. They have a very advanced scientific tradition. You’d have to consider other factors for better comparison.
That’s what I’ve been saying too. I think I’ll raise again the question, what if Marcos never became president? Would we have avoided lots of killings or economic downfall? I doubt. If someone else become president, we’d still likely see the same thing. Economic downturn and killings would still happen no matter who sits up there (clue: they still continue today!). Then you have the theory that if Ninoy or a commie ally became president, we’d see much worse than martial law. Doesn’t matter who brings investment or not. Filipino culture is internally violent and backward, leading to the state of our country today.
ChinoF, you did not see the point. Marcos disrupted the 1935 constitution when it already gained traction and momentum and the economy was doing fine after world war 2. Dictator Marcos instead changed it to 1973 constitution, which extended and widen the already broad powers of the president to prolong his presidency. He disrupted the 1973 presidential election when his 2nd term was almost over and the 2 term limit of the president under the 1935 constitution while declaring martial law. He did not suppress much more eliminate the communists rebels under martial law, instead they grew up of numbers during his watched from a hundred in late 1960s to more than 10k in 1980s even if he already imprisoned the communist leaders such as Jose Maria Sison and Commander Dante.
We would have better stability and momentum in our economy if we had the 1973 presidential election and yellow movements from opposition led by Ninoy Aquino would have been inexistent if not for martial law. In totality, dictator Marcos was more of a liability and a failure rather than a contributory to Philippine economic progress. His great fault was extending his power by martial law and created instability and animosities among Filipinos.
Yes, I know Marcos made his mistakes. But I doubt we will be in a better position if Marcos wasn’t around. I’m pretty sure, constitution or not changed, we’d still see the same problems. Things can still go down even without Marcos.
Besides, if the 1935 Constitution was good enough, why did Cory et al make a new 1986 one instead of returning to the old? There, even they helped bring the country down by changing the constitution.
Why do you doubt that we would be in a better position today? The political climate and the economy after world war 2 were pretty stable before martial law took place. There were no major disruptions and the government were mostly focused on their jobs, not bickering and politicizing.
The 1987 constitution was an enhanced version of the 1935. It embodied much the same principles and idealism, and it embraced the same protectionist policy of the 60/40 filipino-foreign business ownership, as the same with 1973. But the 1987 has given more emphasis on the Filipino nation, the check and balances in all government branches, enhanced scope of judicial powers and the democracy and most particulary its independence from colonialism which the 1935 had some remnant provisions of it. The main feature why Cory did not revert back to 1935. It also added the needed provisions of the modern times. Had it not for Marcos disrupting the flow of the system, we would be in a better shape and momentum and we might still used the 1935 constitution to this day if not amended. Communist rebels would be minimal and yellow color opposition would be inexistent had it not for martial law, and had Marcos gave way to another president and vice president in the supposed 1973 elections.
Was Marcos really disrupting the flow or was he actually doing what a Filipino leader would usually do? As in, stay as long as they could or put a family member in? “No major disruptions and the government were mostly focused on their jobs, not bickering and politicizing?” That’s an ignorant statement. Party shifts were common and corruption was already commonplace. Marcos’ own power-hungry acts were a result of that. I’d say he did not interrupt a system, but was the natural result of it.
1987 constitution, an enhancement? No, there are a lot of differences, such as pro-life motherhood statements and limits to how much foreigners can own in a business — the latter being unique in our constitution, as I saw that no other constitution has that. It was not an enhancement, it was a bungle.
Martial law was never used by other presidents before even with the presence of insurgence like Hulks in the 1950s. With the martial law in placed, it was already a disruption to somewhat controllable and stabilize political and economic landscape in the Philippines after WW2.
Yes, corruption was already present but was only minimal, when martial law took place, it exarcerbated the situation and in the aftermath of that, the economy became unstable and political bickering and politicizing became more rampant both in local and national levels.
You are right then that Marcos was a good testament of how Filipinos corrupt and corrupt absolutely. That’s why among past WW2 presidents, he is exceptional to be remembered by many.
The 60/40 business provisions were already there since 1935 constitution, adopted by both 1973 and 1987. That’s the truth. Research more. If Duterte is willing to change what you think is flawed in 1987 cons., he should have done it by now.
Extending further what ChinoF says here…
…what if Spain and the US never colonised the Philippines? Would Filipinos be enjoying a Swedish standard of living today?
Keep in mind that when the Spanish arrived, they were already a people capable of navigating an open sea and being out to sea for months while Filipinos of the time struggle to build boats that could survive a voyage from Minadanao to Sabah,
It’s not like Filipinos understand the whole point of “democracy” better post-1986 than they did during the “Martial Law Years”. There’s no evidence to prove they are better “democratic” citizens today than they were back in 1985.
To quote someone else, if martial law is so bad, why is it still in the 1987 constitution? It was called up by Marcos because the situation required it. The Reds were a real threat then, knowing the political climate of the time (Vietnam War, anti-reds sentiment, etc.). Marcos never singlehandly brought down the country. It was a sum of many parts.
Here’s another thing that informs my view of the Marcos Era: Rigoberto Tiglao’s “Why We are where we are.” This is a good big-picture view of the situation and the many factors as I see it.
http://web.archive.org/web/20100414035155/http://www.athenspe.net/from-the-ambassador/why-we-are-where-we-are/
@Jason, think again.
Your version of narrative, explaining the past re Marcos and Martial Law, is an old tale appreciated only by those with small minds of today.
In explaining your point, you fail to get your thinking about factoring causes, events and effects: The Iranian Revolution which broke out in 1979 and the Iran-Iraq War in 1980 that triggered an oil crisis that pushed up global interest rates. Locally, the wake of the Aquino’s assassination exploited by both the Yellow Civil Society and the Left brought political instability.
Indeed, reality is much more complex.
But there are those in the know, economically, who attest that martial law economy surged from 1972 to 1980 at an average annual growth rate of 6 percent. The growth rate for 1973, the first full year of martial law, as well as for 1976, was 9 percent, an astounding pace never since posted.
It was Cesar Virata, Marcos’ economic tsar, who was almost totally in charge of the martial law regime’s economic management. He occupied the crucial post of finance secretary from 1972 to the day the strongman fell on Feb. 25, 1986
“Virata didn’t work alone, he was the big boss of the powerful bloc of Marcos technocrats who ran the economy. This included NEDA Director-General Gerardo Sicat, Trade Secretary Roberto Ongpin, central bank governor Jaime Laya, Budget Secretary Manuel Alba, PNB chairman Placido Mapa, finance undersecretaries Ernest Leung and (treasurer) Victor Macalincag, Agriculture Secretary Arturo Tanco, and Energy Secretary Geronimo Velasco.”
You should ask yourself then this question: If the Marcos economy was so bad, why is his economic tsar Virata so respected?
https://rigobertotiglao.com/2016/11/28/if-the-marcos-economy-was-so-bad-why-is-his-economic-tsar-virata-so-respected/
Post-Edsa administrations and their Yellowtard allies, as always, take the easy and lazy route to explain their no-result, zero-achievement by blaming Marcos and Martial Law.
If you think about it, much of Marcos’ laws are still in effect and, technically, those Yellowtard administrations, for their combined thirty years in power, governed the country by such laws. Why so, if they are considered bad?
And in spite of them having seized power illegally and establishing a Revolutionary Government for Dictator Cory, removing all legally-elected officials nation-wide down from the barangay level up to the Supreme Court and national level, selecting delegates who drafted their approved ‘Freedom Constitution’, having a much greater amount for their national budget during their terms in office, bigger than Marcos’ budget amount of twenty years… having all that glory and much power, even greater than Marcos, resulted in nothing.
The PCGG’s pursuit of the so-called ill-gotten wealth with more than a thousand cases filed in courts, here and abroad, for more than thirty years produced not a single conviction. Even with the having of two Aquino Presidents, they failed to resolve the Ninoy assassination.
Benigno,
You are grasping on straws. Such an unrelated and way beyond argument in connection with Martial Law years.
ChinoF,
The fact that martial law years failed to suppress/minimize numbers of rebels nor eliminate the communist insurgencies despite of dictator Marcos having immense and absolute powers at that time were a testament that martial law was unneccessary, and only established to perpetuate Marcos presidency and cancel 1973 elections.
ChinoF and Red,
Citing Tiglao as your source of argument will only make you look pitiful. Tiglao was never a real journalist as someone capable of writing unbiased and fair articles.
Red,
You said there was a real big increase in GDP during martial law years? A big fat lie. World bank graph shows you it is the opposite. Other Southeast Asian Countries raced above the Philippines first time in 1980s under Marcos watched. Even those crisis in middle east were a real threat, other Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea were unaffected unlike the Philippine economy. So there, dictator Marcos was an epitome of a dictator whose impact to the country is bad in all angles way beyond a comparison to Park Chung Hee, Lee Kwan Yew and even Joseph Stalin who had dictatorial regimes but leapfrog their countries into the top.
I remember that interview where Conrado Balweg said the NPA were already on the verge of collapse because of Marcos. But when Cory came in, she decided to pardon the lot of them and so Joma flew the coop while the NPA gained numbers again. So ” failed to suppress/minimize numbers of rebels” is quite a flawed conclusion.
You based your conclusion to one person. If you look at the history, the CPP-NPA coalition only thrived and got stronger even at the height of martial law years, regardless of the incarceration of JoMa Sison and Buscayno, the leaders.
They already established their organization in the countryside, and with the rampant human rights violations during martial law, the rebels used that as motivation to unite and stand against the dictatorship. The more abuses from Marcos government, the more they became bold, eager and stronger.
When Marcos was ousted, Cory Aquino tried to make peace agreement with the communists insurgence because they grew more than 10,000 already during her term as president and became a real threat to the government. And so she freed JoMa Sison and Buscayno hoping the rebels surrender their arms and become good normal citizens again. It is like the case of MILF, where the numbers are around 12,000. The Duterte government chose to make peace agreement with them instead of declaring a war. But even then, factions appear among the rebels and some of them chose to continue to fight against the government to this day.
One person who’s actually been with the CPP-NPA leadership is substantial enough. Same with Victor Corpuz and other former commies who said the NPA bombed Plaza Miranda.
Martial Law is the best that happens in the Philippines. only those who witness it can tell, no one else. and for the enemy of the state it is bad of course for them.
Noynoy Aquino and his followers so proudly claim that the Manila-centric Edsa Rev brought back democracy and all their freedoms – freedom to steal more from government, freedom to sell and use more drugs, freedom to do more smuggling activities, freedom to disobey traffic rules, and many more – while forgetting that freedom comes with a corresponding responsibility.
May I also link Noynoy to Ninoy. It is my opinion that if Ninoy succeeded in his left-wing avocation, he would have been more toxic. I just read this old article on how Ninoy Aquino consorted with the communists. It was written by a Phd candidate at the time of writing. Ninoy had such a profound political ambition that he would do anything to achieve it while protecting Hacienda Luisita by cuddling the communists.
It may be logical to say that if Ninoy was a communist, Noynoy is also a communist. Also, now I know that Ninoy died not for his country but for his own vested interest.
This may be only one view among many, but if there is some truth to it, I am beginning to understand why Marcos declared martial law.
I don’t know. Philippine politics and economy is child’s play for somebody with that caliber. Did somebody actually do the math on the corruption?
I don’t know. Philippine politics and economy is child’s play for somebody with that caliber. Did somebody actually do the math on the corruption?
@Benigno, your comment on the Spanish and Filipino capabilities begs the question on the process of the development of cultures. Do we know enough from the timeline availablefor study?
You can’t underestimate the possible change that can happen at any given time. I read somewhere that it took a few months for the pandemic to revert the economic gains for the past years or so. Like Red said above, think again.
The Filipino communist problem, began , before World War II…there were already commies, during that time…It is because of Feudalism..The Cojuangcos of Tarlac, who were not rich, during Spanish times…became wealthy and rich, because it was claimed that , Ysidra Cojuanco, a “kabit” of Gen. Antonio Luna, was entrusted the National Treasury, by Gen. Luna to Ysidra Cojuangco.
When the Americans bought us, from Spain, thru the Treaty of Paris…they came to invade/claim , what was sold to them…as Gen. Aguinaldo forces were defeated…Gen. Antonio Luna was murdered. The National Treasury entrusted to , his “kabit”, Ysidra Cojuangco, disappeared from the face of the Earth…
The Americans were not able to find it…
One by one, the Cojuangcos invested the money, they had stolen., by buying lands in Tarlac…Until , they owned almost 70% of the Province of Tarlac, this became the Hacienda Luisita …They also invested in many business ventures…,
World War II came and they collaborated with the Japanese invaders…Benigno Aquino, Sr. , was the foremost Japanese collaborator. The Philippine HUKBALAHAP (Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon), that were the original army of the communists led by the late : Dr.Jesus Lava, the Supremo, Luis Taruc, became the communist army, fighting the Japanese..
The armed struggle , continued after World War II…it is because of the feudalism…many owned too many lands, like the “hacienderos”…the Sharecroppers or Filipino peasants, owned no land… This was the “battlecry” of the Huks..”land for the landless”…
The communist Huks, were defeated by the late , Pres. Magsaysay…then, it was renamed, as New Peoples’ Army in the late 1960s; and as the Land Reform was implemented by the late Pres, Marcos.
Ninoy Aquino , founded the New Peoples’ Army, during the turmoil of student activism in the late 1960s…As the situation grew worse, Pres. Marcos, declared “Martial Law” , to save the Philippines from communism…the student activism, were fronts of the commies, to sow disorder , and grab power.
Pres. Marcos was able to neutralize the power of the NPA…-
Politicians , who were actually , political opportunists, flocked to the Marcos Party; the “Kilusan ng Bagong Lipunan”(KBL)…Marcos jailed : Jose Maria Sison , the NPA Supremo; Ninoy Aquino; the founder of the NPA; Bernabe Buscayno , alias “Kumander Dante”; Victor Corpus, the renegade Philippine Constabulary officer… Then, Marcos, exiled Ninoy Aquino, and his family to the U.S.
This was the mistake of the late Pres. Marcos…He should had tried all of these rebels, and executed them by firing squad…
As the situation grew worse, Ninoy Aquino, forced himself to come back, for political reasons. The NPA Supremo, Jo Ma Sison; together, with the political opportunists, in Marcos inner circle, in the form of Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel Ramos and the oligarchs; teamed up, with the U.S./C.I.A., to overthrow Marcos…So, Ninoy Aquino was murdered, at the airport , by Rolando Galman…
This was the beginning of the end of the Marcos regime, and his Martial Law…
As the U.S. -Philippine Bases Agreement, was expiring. Marcos refused to renew the U.S Bases agreement…he was overthrown, by the U.S/C.I.A….
And the rest was history,,,