Editor’s Note We are living in a perilous time, where our generation’s future is on the line. Tyranny, impunity, and corruption is once again becoming the norm, and therefore the narratives that taught us many lessons in knowing our historical role in times when democracy is threatened are continuously under attack. Malevolent forces are desperately trying to revise these narratives with their own in order to fit it with the new status quo that benefits them. The status quo where tyranny, impunity, and corruption thrives. We chose to fight back by reinforcing narratives that are based on the truth, and nothing but the truth. Using our platform of pen and paper as well as the resonating voice of those, we chose to feature both in this magazine, and the Martial law forum. The stories that we have featured in this magazine, and in this forum, will resonate beyond the walls of our university. What we are facing now is no different from what our parents, and grandparents have faced before both for the privileged, and the oppressed. Some chose to remain quiet or sided with the oppressor, but many choose to fight back and because of that, we now enjoy freedom albeit threatened by the previous and current regimes. Right now, it is up to us to make the choice on which side of the history are we going to side with. Are we going to be part of the resistance to preserve our future? Or should we choose to side with our oppressors? The decision lies with you, but what ever steps we make, whether it is participating in the election, or in a revolution. Your choice will ultimately contribute to our collective struggle, and ultimately, the future of our generation, and our children.
ART BY Jo hn M icha el M ana last as
Justice to all victims of torture, extrajudicial killings, and state terrorism.
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lthough Marcos did whatever he could to snatch away the voices of the people, the latter happened. For many years, they were silenced by his dictatorship, but behind his back were thousands of subliminal messages exchanged in hindsight and protests hidden in the form of various mediums of art. From this, came the emergence of protest art.
MUSIC During Martial Law, people had clever ways of expressing their outrage towards Marcos. One of them being through music with seemingly innocent lyrics, but are actually grim underneath. Written by Nonoy Gallardo, and performed by his wife, Celeste Legaspi, the song, Saranggola ni Pepe, holds a weighty, political meaning behind its lively tune. The first two lines, “Matayog ang lipad ng saranggola ni Pepe. Matayog ang pangarap ng matandang bingi.” Presumably denotes Marcos as the deaf old man (matandang bingi), while Pepe and his kite (saranggola ni Pepe) symbolize Filipinos and their aspirations. The song also mentions a captive bird (“Hinuli ang ibon”) and someone unable to sing (“Pinilit umawit, ang naglaro’y isang ingit”), which possibly refers to the suppression of expression back then. Finally, it ends with the powerful line, “They obeyed not, but followed their hearts (Sumusuway sa utos, puso’y sinusunod)”, implying the unshaken resistance of the Filipinos.
PRESS FREEDOM Press freedom was and will always be a challenge to Filipino journalists. Marcos was able to
“Kung kailan ang lakas ng oppression… doon naman lumalakas ’yung puwersa sa loob mo na gusto mong magsalita, magkwento, tumutol,” Lee said. The iconic line “Walang Himala!” resonated with its themes of blind faith and idolatry to an autocrat. He emphasized the people who become “fanatics” to a magnified figure or a strongman who they just follow with the belief they will be saved from their problems which Lee himself considered to be still relevant today.
control the country by silencing the media, nonetheless, journalists and activists of the time were unstoppable. The “Mosquito Press” are the alternative press that continued to criticize the government then despite the risks that entailed. These pubs were analogized with mosquitoes - small, but with a stinging bite. Some examples are the WE Forum founded by Jose Burgos Jr., Business Day, now Business World, by Raul and Leticia Locsin, and school pubs such as Philippine Collegian of UP Diliman, and Pandayan of Ateneo de Manila. In another instance, when newspapers weren’t allowed on the surface, they made their way underground. People had to work in places wherein the sound of the typewriter could not be heard, hence, they were constantly on the run. Liberation (1972) was one of the underground newspapers that flourished then. They also subtly slipped in anti-Marcos statements in pro-Marcos publications. Case in point, in the 14 July Issue of Focus Philippines, the first letters of each line spelled out, “MARCOS HITLER” and “DIKTADOR TUTA”. Unfortunately, many of them were either arrested or killed, but the fight never ceased and carries on up to this day.
PAINTING In 1976, the organization Kaisahan (Solidarity) was formed by social realist artists, who collectively resist the Marcos regime with the method they knew best — art. One of its members, Pablo Baen Santos, illustrated the dreadful Mar- tial Law period through his painting “Panangis ni Ina” (Mother’s Cries) in 1976. It portrays an image of a mother and his lifeless child, which
FILM The screenwriter Ricky Lee was under the hands of Marcos but he put his truth on his. The film “Himala” starring Nora Aunor was produced in 1982, but Lee wrote it in 1976 shortly after he was released from imprisonment for a year. He believed that he was targeted by the regime for being a member of the writers’ group Panulat Para sa Kaunlaran ng Sambayanan (PAKSA).
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poses a very familiar scene then until now. The mother may be in tears with the sight of persecution, torture, and his child’s cold body, but Santos highlighted a look of wrath in her eyes. It is a passionate look of a mother that says she will get justice for her child. Art has a purpose beyond aesthetics. All these presented are more than just historical traces, but could also be perceived as caution. Considering the country’s current government, it seems that history may be repeating itself. This time, with Duterte and his attempt to silence the people and take away press freedom. To appreciate and remember the artists and their art is also to learn from the past: not to let any administration from bringing us back to that point in time. #NeverAgain
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he Dark Ages, Iron-Fisted Rule, Military Law — regardless of the terms used to describe Martial Law, its impact to Philippine history remains indescribable. Defined by dictionaries and research studies as military rule replacing civil rule, with curfews put into place, and the suspension of writ of habeas corpus, Martial Law becomes the supposed saving grace of a country drowning in catastrophe and havoc. It was in the hands of the President to serve and use his power for the protection and safety of the Filipino people. However, these presuppositions were not the case when Martial Law was declared in the country. Abuse of every form was evident; chaos reigned, contrary to what was promised. Traversing through the dark past of those directly affected may be the only way to truly understand how the night of September 23, 1972 brought terror and bloodshed then, and how it may continue to do so.
Overcasted Horrors
It takes a strong stomach to face the realities that became the memories of the victims who suffered unjustly in the nine long years of those dark, grief-ridden times. A political prisoner and torture survivor during the Martial Law, Maria
Cristina Banawagan’s words summarize the horrific ordeal of those years: “Maging mayaman ka, maging mahirap, basta taliwas sa kagustuhan ni Marcos ang iyong ginagawa, pwede kang mamatay.” One writer, Boying Pimentel, highlighted how Marcos and his wife, Imelda, were the stars of the show. “Sa kanila nakatutok ang nakakasilaw na ilaw. Sila ang bida. Pero tago sa nakakasilaw na ilaw, sa mga pasabog at pasiklab… tago sa lahat ng mga ito ang kadiliman — matindi at nakakatakot na kadiliman.” Indeed, the estimated 70,000 people who were imprisoned, 34,000 tortured, and over 3,200 who were killed, as the data from Amnesty International states, have been hidden behind the glamorous beauty pageants, boxing fights, and rising buildings. “Every night they took 10 men, made them dig their graves, then shot them dead. Every night they also took 10 women to the boat, and raped them,” Abunawas Kali, a government employee in Maguindanao province during Martial Law, recalled. His uncles survived the Manili massacre in North Cotabato only to be shot, firing squad-style, by soldiers three years later. Trinidad Herrera-Repuno was an urban poor leader during Martial Law when she was captured and tortured after denying she was a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines. “They tied an electric wire to my thumbs. The wire was connected to a military field phone so each time they cranked it, it sent electric shocks. They interrogated me and every time I did not answer, they electrocuted me,” she re-
called, with tears in her eyes. “When they stopped, I thought it was already over. But they tied the wires to my nipples. I thought I would explode,” she added. No matter how the Marcos apologists and cronies insist that those days were the Golden Age, the real-life experiences of the victims and survivors will always write those years in blood red ink.
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Sa kanila nakatutok ang nakakasilaw na ilaw. Sila ang bida. Pero tago sa nakakasilaw na ilaw, sa mga pasabog at pasiklab… tago sa lahat ng mga ito ang kadiliman — matindi at nakakatakot na kadiliman.
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Sources of Light
Activists and student leaders are amongst those who were heavily threatened and muzzled during the reign of the dictator. For Holy Angel University-Student Council President Kenneth de Guzman, the declaration of Martial Law “is just a safe haven of an incubus deprived of pleasure and ego.” De Guzman emphasized the critical role of the youth in serving as the checks and balances of the society. “What happened nearly 5 decades ago gives us the responsibility to resist the fascist, fight for our civil liberties, defend press
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and academic freedom, and to prevent another homegrown tyrant from ever stepping foot in Malacañan.” An Ayala Young Leaders Congress 2021 Alumni and the current College Student Council of the School of Education Chairperson, Abelardo G. Cortez, Jr., places his hope on this generation’s power to select the right set of leaders. “One way to avoid the horrors from happening again is to remember because remembrance is resistance. Another is to continue being critical and assertive to let the current fascist dictator realize that we are the same youth who would oppose an anti-Filipino regime,” Cortez said.
Records don’t lie
According to the report of the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group, the years 1975-1985, during Marcos’ dictatorship, there were allegedly 3,257 military killings. Numerous human rights violations have brought terror to our fellow Filipinos. The country hit the worst recession in history during the reign of Marcos. The external debt of the Philippines blew up from $4.1 billion to $24.4 billion in a span of seven years. Not quite the ‘Golden Years’ we’re expecting, huh. In the nearing 2022 national elections, researching about the candidates helps the country from going through the same dreaded era. Seeing through the eyes of these individuals, opens up the aperture of what Martial Law is for people from different timestamps of history and the present. No matter how loud the “history repeats itself ” saying goes, there is a much louder voice now crying: “Never Again!”.
Ingredient #3: Silence the Free Press
When we were in elementary school, we were bound to have at least one TVL class or another. From baking, cooking, and mustering through recipes, we seldom find good resources on how to whip up a good dictatorial regime. In light of dozens upon thousands of suggestions, comments, and extrajudicial murders, we’ve finally decided to give to our audience a nice, chic, and fresh recipe of a hardcore dictator! Although we have heard, learned, and studied piles upon piles of materials, those of which tend to overextend credits, we need to sift through the events during the Marcos regime. To make sure our freshlycooked dictator is well-done, we must make sure we get our ingredients to the right measurements.
Ingredient #1: Human Rights Violations
Baking up a dictator is bloody and most of the time, tragic. From time to time, recipe books ascertain the fact that no dictatorial regime respects the power of the people. Democracy is a big no-no as freedom and liberty intoxicate the very sense of a dictatorship. The more horrendous acts the more the methods for a monstrous ruler become egregiously perfect. This has been evidentiary when a dictator named Ferdinand Marcos from the past organized a total of 34,000 killings, 3,240 deaths, and 70,000 imprisonments in his regime. His own style of human rights violations also involves demolitions, fake surrender, frustrated massacre, and salvaging, hamletting, harassment, and many more. Moreover, during his reign, he turned his sovereign into a salvage land in his aim for a successful regime. But, only those who are beloved by him were satisfied by his methods.
Ingredient #2: The Desaparecidos
One crucial method of dictatorship is disappearances. May it be public funds, resources or an individual, dictators seem to have a magical power that can vanish everything that benefits or go against its egocentric needs. Insulting a dictator’s ego can make you disappear and place you into higher grounds — in heaven, literally. Marcos’ regime was also known for this. Thus, he became successful in establishing the most number of enforced or involuntary disappearances in the history of the Philippines. Regardless of age or gender, the reported victims were 930 individuals. Yes, a record-holder. Among notable cases are Boyet Mijares’, son of the late dictator’s media czar and author of the Conjugal Dictatorship, Primitivo Mijares — another victim. Boyet was a 16-year-old, 3rd-year high school student. The young teenager was abducted four months after his father’s disappearance. Boyet was mercilessly tormented — having all of his nails removed, with his eyeballs bulging, head battered, disfigured hands, feet, and genitals. A brutal fate for a high school student. His remains were discovered in Antipolo. Being a dictator is being brutally evil, as Marcos’ regime proved. Beware of bumping into one, as you can disappear in a blink of an eye.
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A press that is committed to freedom and speaks truth to power — elements too threatening for any fascist reign. Such strength can send shivers down the spine of corrupt politicians and tyrants. As one of the most prominent dictators in Asia, Marcos’ proclamation of Martial Law meant that the privileges of the press were nullified. Toasted to a dead-end. The mainstream media, including its newspapers, networks, radios, were all linked to “subversive activities” and overthrowing the autocratic rule of Marcos. With over 10,000 workers losing their job as cited by the International Press Institute and the Press Foundation of Asia. However, they did not let it wash down the drain as they saved some for their own. Shutting down the critical media is not enough, the key ingredient of it all is Control. The Marcos Regime glazed the media with their own concoctions of propaganda and disinformation. The words that rolled out on Marcos’ tongue were law. Not even religious publications escaped the blanket censorship that the regime imposed. A recipe all too familiar with its modern-day counterpart 48 years later, Duterte ceased the operations of the media giant ABS-CBN. With his own special twist, dubbed as among the world’s top “press freedom predators”.
A special ingredient that requires more than needed, a billion times more, $26.7 billion to be exact. The corruption-riddled mismanagement of the Marcos Regime has made the Filipino people pay for these debts 49 years into the future (with 4 years left to go!) Cronyism was at its peak during those times, wherein these people were seated upon key positions not only in the State but the private sector as well. This further enabled the Marcoses to seize total control of the major industries in the country. As cited by the Freedom from Debt Coalition, these ‘business associates’ were able to pocket millions of capital without having to stay within the lines of the strict bank rules and its bureaucratic procedures. The Marcos Regime did indeed show growth although in terms of debt with a staggering 4300% increase. At the beginning of Marcos’ tenure in 1965, the total debt of the nation was at $600 million and on his ouster in 1986 — it has inflated to a staggering $28 billion.
Ingredient #4: Loan by the truckload
A good dictator has a good hold on economic habits. As they say, break the rules. With the heavy disperse of foreign loans, the Philippine economy during the Marcos regime was indeed fragile. Now that the drama unfolds, the rise and fall of the arrow becomes more meticulous than ever. By 1984, the economy had contracted by 7.3%, marking it as the worst recession in Philippine history. As Marcos slowly replaced the traditional elite with people loyal to him, the economy further recessed. Ring a bell? During the Duterte regime, people were replaced with Duterte’s minions who were loyal to him - slowly but surely. Under his guise, Duterte’s loyal cronies have been invited into favorable positions, much like that of Marcos’ slow-but-steady replacement of subversives and critical figures within his regime. In the reign of the Marcoses, they were all sure to establish monopolies within their range of crony capitalists - those of which are sure to maintain loyalty. What was once one of the ranking GDPs of Asia has now fallen into the hands of bureaucrat-capitalists, and with that started the plunge towards a 50-peso rate against the US dollar. With the 51-peso rate against the US dollar, it’s a for-sure telltale sign that Duterte has imitated the image of dictatorship in sheer idolatry.
Ingredient #5:
Plunge the economy, badly With every statistic comes a story, but most of those stories were shunned during the dark and gloomy era during Marcos’ era. Several statistics have arised from the Martial Law Museum, stating that 6 out of 10 Filipino families were plundered into poverty by the end of Martial Law. This number has risen into stories, those of which tell the excruciating fear and suffering that these families went through. Within their own stories do they hold such trauma that will endure for generations to come. ...
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A good dictator impoverishes their forces: within the peasantry, workers, and the masses. As an example, our farmers became poorer during the Martial Law era, those of which had wages plunging more than 30%. From 42PHP, the wage plunged to 30PHP. Alongside that were all the daily wages of skilled and unskilled workers, wherein it lowered sharply, from 89PHP to 23PHP. Due to the scarce resources garnered by harsh conditions under Marcos, prices of goods tripled the price. By mixing these factors, we create the last ingredient, and the worst of all. Every story we tell to ourselves hold meaning, but if those stories were turned into numbers, then we no longer find stories worth telling, but rather statistics of pure horror and distress.
Ingredient #6:
Matriculate the masses into numbers To conclude, the monster that once reigned in the palace of Malacañang continues to doom our country with its atrocious legacy. Today, as our country repays his own debt and as his victims mourn since time immemorial, a dishonest mechanism has come into existence to try to salvage his disgusting and foul-odored image. More so, a new wanna-be dictator has followed his distasteful recipe that, like him, only serves his own stomach. History never lies and it surely can repeat itself. As Duterte follows the footsteps of the late-dictator, the power of the people endure severe impertinence once again. Thus, he seemed to have forgotten that the recipe of dictatorship is a recipe that would only satisfy the beings of their own. The power of the Filipino people against any fascist regime can burn and smash any dishes of dictatorship, however evil it can be.
Ralph Just Wants to Go Home
WRITTEN BY Cathriona Jene Ramoso & Brennan Manaloto PAGE DESIGN BY Marienel Calma & Dian Soliman
Disclaimer: The characters and names shown in the story are a work of fiction. However, this work depicts actual experiences from the narratives of Martial Law victims which may contain disturbing content.
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ituated near the water banks of Pasig River, a family of nine lives simply in their humble home. Despite the economic constraints, the family was happy and content. Ralph, the second youngest, is the jolliest and smartest of all siblings. He would always do his homework outside their home—near the lamp post of the bridge. It was a habit he kept after their electricity was cut off once during his younger years. He is a studious kid who dreams of graduating from college and continuing on helping his family. For him, his love for his family surpasses all the challenges they face. Years later, Ralph’s eldest siblings graduated college and were employed as journalists in a broadcasting station. Ralph was happy and proud of his siblings for serving others through their profession. One day, as his parents were watching the evening news, they heard the broadcast that would change life as they know it—the president declared Martial Law. To the ears of the then-thirteen-yearold Ralph, the uttered words
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were merely some political jargon. However, he soon came to know the truth behind the cluster of words. As per usual, Ralph was doing his homework near the lamp post of the bridge. He was halfway through when he heard screams and gunshots. Terrified, he hid behind a parked vehicle and watched several men come into the light. Five men had guns in their hands while at least four were covered in blood. One of the men that were covered in blood was begging for mercy as he knelt in front of an armed man. After a long while of laughing, the armed men shot them in the head. It took everything in Ralph not to scream and close his eyes as the horrific incident happened before him. He then heard loud splashes of water and descending footsteps. He ran home, scared of the men coming back. Days after the incident, Ralph realized that everything was changing. His siblings working as journalists have not returned home for days and his parents forbade them from leaving the house. Ralph hasn’t had the courage to tell his family about the incident he witnessed. As his father was watching the news on television, an interview with the Philippine constabulary came into view. Ralph saw that it was the killer the other day. The man spoke
house. His head was bleeding and his family was nowhere in sight. Realizing the nightmare was real, Ralph wailed in agony as he looked at their once happy house slowly burn to ashes—a contrast to the muted colors of the riverbank. Days after the death of his parents, Ralph overheard on the radio that his eldest siblings were killed in a raid. It was only when he came for their body that he saw how they were severely mutilated with several signs of torture evident everywhere. As for his other siblings, the authorities reported that their bodies were seen floating along the Pasig River. Decades later, Ralph, now a middle-aged man, lives as a merchant in the province. The story of his past can be seen in his sad, empty eyes. Years have passed, he still grieves for the family he has lost. He was lost in sorrow but persevered each day in hopes to gain justice for his fallen family. He joined the underground movement that sought to overthrow the dictatorial government. However, even after the end of the Martial Law, the anger and pain in him remained. No amount of compensation was ever enough to fill the void from the death of his loved ones. Despite the decades that passed, he continues to crave the warmth of his family. Until today, Ralph lives in the same province miles away
of peace and human rights in the interview. Ralph was disgusted. Months later, his eldest siblings have not returned home at all. The last that they heard of them was that they were hiding from the government as they were being hunted down by officials for broadcasting the truth of the country’s current welfare. It wasn’t long before the Constabulary knocked on their home in hopes of capturing his estranged siblings. It was a sunny afternoon when the Constabulary forced to open their door. Ralph immediately held his youngest sibling as he saw that his parents were being held with a 0.38 caliber revolver which was pointed against their temple while they were asked numerous questions. Unable to give a proper answer to the whereabouts of his siblings, the constabulary mercilessly took his parents. The torment continued as some of the men gained interest in his female siblings and took them away, even their youngest. Ralph fought hard to free his siblings but he fell unconscious on the hard floor after being punched in the gut. His parents were detained as they were allegedly suspected as disruptive. They were put in a tiny holding cell and were tortured and electrocuted. When he woke up, he was in front of their now burning
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from their old home, locked down due to a global pandemic, still remembering the traumatic and bloody past he had experienced, scared that the current government will take advantage of their situation. He has been seeing news about innocent journalists meeting their demise, and innocent people being killed who were allegedly subjected to violence and deemed as terrorists. For him, these incidents were the same thing that happened to his family from the past administration. He decided to watch from the television but didn’t expect what he saw. Numerous people rallied against the passing of the Anti-Terror Bill, but sadly, the bill is now a legalized law. He knows for sure how this law is similar to Martial Law, and how the government will weaponize this to kill innocent people whom they think are a threat, penalizing their human rights. As he continued to watch with fear, he saw someone staring at him and asked, “Why are you crying?” It was his daughter. Upon seeing her, he remembers his youngest sibling who experienced a bloody past. Ralph immediately hugged his daughter tightly and whispered, “I wonder what kind of future you’ll have to face.”
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ART BY John Michael Manalastas
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G/F Mamerto G. Nepomuceno Building, Holy Angel University, Sto. Rosario St., Angeles City Hotline: (045) 322-6372 • 888-8691 loc. 1490 0906-681-2943 • 0905-600-5451 • 0929-333-0381
Jhon Marco Magdangal EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Jay-Ar Turla MANAGING EDITOR | Princess Payumo ASSOCIATE EDITOR | Cathriona Jene Ramoso, Klenia Ern Mendiola SENIOR EDITOR | Arlin Salonga SENIOR LITERARY EDITOR | Hannah Rica Pineda JUNIOR LITERARY EDITOR | Marienel Calma SENIOR ARTS EDITOR | Maria Angela Manaloto JUNIOR ARTS EDITOR | McGiorge David NEWS EDITOR | Yajde Reyes EXCHANGE EDITOR | Brandon Patungan, Yajde Reyes, Khriseanne Elizabeth Salvador, Dian Soliman PHOTOJOURNALISTS | Brandon Patungan TECHNICAL EDITOR | Dian Soliman ONLINE MEDIA MANAGER | Honey De Jesus, Brennan Manaloto, Precious Joy Medina, Khriseanne Elizabeth Salvador, Kyra Villena, STAFF WRITERS | Ayessa Agustin, Winston Adam Lejarde, Yajde Reyes, Dian Soliman, Hedy Hazelene Vasquez GRAPHIC ARTISTS | Carl Jay Cunanan EDITORIAL CARTOONIST | Luis Gabriel Gomez CONTRIBUTORS | John Maurice Cruz LAYOUR ARTIST