The First Quarter Storm Movement (FQSM) held an online forum to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law under the Marcos regime. Ka Danilo dela Fuente from Campaign Against the Marcoses’ Return to Malacañang asserts that Martial Law was declared by Marcos for two different reasons ― to stay in position and to keep the system that he established which favors him, the elite, and the ruling class.
“Ang pagpapatalsik kay Marcos ay nagpatunay ng makapangyarihan na pagkakaisa ng masa,” Ka Danilo said.
Carol Araullo, Chairperson of Bayan National and Convenor of Movement Against Tyranny, said that Marcos’ regime created a “chronic and aggravating crisis that resulted in the resistance of people.” Marcos’ tyranny and dictatorship during Martial Law resulted to multiple accounts of torture, killings, and forced disapperances of the regime’s critics.
The exacerbated living conditions of the masses gave birth to the First Quarter Storm—a historic series of protests, demonstrations, and marches by the youth, activists, workers, and peasants from other sectors to condemn the tyrant and oppressive US-Marcos dictatorship. Protesters would be attacked by state forces; however, with their militancy unfazed, the struggle only intensified as Marcos suspended the writ of habeas corpus and declared Martial Law in 1972.
The Duterte regime is no different from the Marcos dictatorship, especially with the extrajudicial killings ensued by Duterte’s bloody War on Drugs, corruption, and illegal searches, arrests, detention, and red tagging of government critics. One of the victims is Alicia Lucena from Anakbayan, who was abused and detained by state element Relissa Lucena.
Lucena’s case caught the attention of the public and was broadcasted on several news outlets. She said that everywhere she went, she felt “terrified and harassed.”
“Nakakatakot na kahit saan akong pumunta ay pwede akong dukutin,” Lucena added.
Araullo emphasized that the chronic and terminal crisis has worsened during Duterte’s administration which resulted in an intensity close to that of the Marcos’ regime.
“Umaalimpuyo na ang diskuntento ng masa; palpak at inutil sa pagharap sa krisis pangkalusugan; batbat ng korapsyon, may record ng malubhang paglabag sa karapatang pantao,” dela Fuente reiterated during his discourse.
The commemoration of Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law serves as a reminder that the fight against the tyrant administration still hasn’t ended.
“Ang bagong henerasyon ng mga kabataang masa ay dapat panghawakan ang mga aral mula sa dating pakikibaka,” Araullo stated.
Featured image courtesy of Philippine Star
