Mama, what is martial law?

In one of her postings in social media, my daughter Veronica who is now correspondent of Al-Jazeera in Bangkok wrote on how history repeats itself. She asked me in 1972, Mama, what is martial law? Her daughter asked her the same question today in Bangkok.

We were in London when martial law was declared in 1972 in the Philippines. We were in uproar, trying to connect with Manila through a long distance call. It had a special meaning to us because it changed our lives in an instant. I had displeased the Marcoses because I had written “The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos” which they wanted to suppress. We were told by relatives and friends that we were in two arrest lists, my husband for working with the Lopezes and I for writing Imelda’s untold story. What would have been a temporary stay in London became a 20-year exile.

Having said that still does not answer the question Veronica asked when she was young girl. She is now a journalist covering martial law in Bangkok.

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To me, there is a whale of a difference between martial law when it was declared in the Philippines in 1972 and the martial law declared in Thailand in 2014. We still do not know how the declaration of martial law in Thailand will unravel. It may be that the ostensible reason is to bring peace between the contending sides, the Reds who support the Shinawatra government and the Yellows who are against it despite victory in the elections. Nor do I know much about the Thai military head General Prayuth Chan-ocha who has said that the military was taking over government but assured the Thai public that it was to “restore stability and order after six months of political deadlock and turmoil.”

Media reports said that it was a surprise move by the military and was not known by either the government or the opposition.

Political statements are one thing but the reality of fluid events may force it to take a more drastic role and there lies the danger. Then of course the armed military, whether it is in Thailand or the Philippines is more prone to abuse and the violation of human rights. We experienced that in martial law under Marcos.

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The situation is not what exists in the Philippines today. Some quarters argue that it is time for the military to step in. The two sides in the Philippines are not parties like the Reds and the Yellows. Neither can it be divided as simply between pro and anti government forces as it is in Thailand. 

It is more accurate to describe the situation in the Philippines as the people against government. Indeed, even what should have been the opposition in government is part of the abusive government. There is no check and balance in any form. We only have disparate groups of citizens articulating what has been described as the most horrific corruption in the history of the country.

This is the key difference between Thailand and the Philippines.

Recent events as the handling of the multibillion theft of PDAF and DAP scandals, the Haiyan disaster mismanagement etc. demonstrate how frustrating and helpless citizens have become in the Philippines against an abusive, law breaking government.  There is just no government to speak of. It is a totally different situation from what is happening in Thailand.

Can the armed forces ever be justified in assisting civilians to create good governance? It can and it should. If a people are made so helpless against abusive government and recognizing that the country is falling off the cliff because of the incompetence of administration, it is time to call in Section 3 of Article II of the Constitution on the principles of Government:

“Civilian authority is, at all times supreme over the military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory.”

The Philippines today is about finding an acceptable formula that would guarantee civilian supremacy while calling in the armed forces to help it bring decency and morality in government. It is time to create an alternative civilian authority to the present government that the military can protect, if temporarily, until it can be on its feet.

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We were in London when martial law was declared by Marcos in 1972. We had guests, Carmen Hernandez of the Evening News, then and soon joined by artists David Medalla and June Terra when it was announced. We were new to London so we were not sure what needed to be done to protest the declaration of martial law. Would we have a crowd? Would we have followers? David Medalla being a long time London resident said immediately that it did not matter we still have to protest so that whatever happens it will not be said that Filipinos did nothing in the face of what was an affront to our freedoms.

Manila is about nine hours ahead so we had to move quickly whatever we were to do. We were just a few in our living room in Wimbledon but we were able to assemble some nurses (there were not many Filipinos in London yet then), made some placards and set ourselves up in front of the diplomatic row on Palace Road in Kensington High Street. We were not allowed to go any nearer and assembled only at the entrance of the gated road of multimillion pound row of houses. I was nervous because as a young housewife, this was my first protest but that began my politicization.

It may have been a small act but I could say to my children and generations to come that I was in a protest against martial law. Placards were made with bamboo sticks and drawing paper assailing the corrupt Marcos government. We made some sandwiches for merienda.

I remember there were a few news agencies taking photographs, the most prominent being the Spanish news agency. They took a few photographs and we quietly dispersed knowing fully well that the protest meant nothing, not even a mosquito bite. In Manila, the government was too busy hauling in opposition and members of the press and the public, equally surprised were not yet organized for protest. It felt good that I was with group of Filipinos in London who did whatever needed to be done at the time when it was needed even only as a symbol.