We remember

It has been more than five decades since the country was placed under the iron control of the martial law regime. Sure, it was a long time ago but the wounds remain from the hurtful past. I'm not as well-versed as some historians or other individuals who can speak highly of this gloomy time in our history. However, I know and I'm sure that the horror stories continue to live on and will never be forgotten. These are all real humans deprived of their right to life yet I believe in the old cliché that history repeats itself.

Many moments in the past are slowly becoming real in the present. We hear of attacks on the Press, restrictions on dissent, and the silencing of ordinary citizens who only want their voices heard. It may not be martial law in name, but echoes of it appear in the way power is exercised and in the attempts to erase uncomfortable truths. This is why remembering is not just an act of looking back, it's an act of vigilance. It pays to be watchful and critical.

The commemoration of martial law isn't about reopening old wounds for the sake of pain. It's about recognizing that these wounds exist and that they were inflicted by a system that promised order but delivered fear. Thousands were detained without warrants, tortured in secret cells, or simply disappeared never to be seen again. Families were broken apart, and communities lived in fear of a knock on the door at midnight. These aren't abstract statistics. They are lived experiences passed down from generation to generation, and they remind us that freedom is fragile.

Tomorrow's commemoration is also about honoring the courage of those who resisted. Students who marched in the streets, journalists who smuggled out the truth despite censorship, families who never stopped searching for their missing loved ones. They all refused to let silence reign. Their courage is why we enjoy the democratic space we have today, however imperfect it may be. Truth be told, we owe it to them. Everything they did should not be thrown away and forgotten.

As we mark another year since martial law was declared, let's take the time not only to remember but also to act. Read the stories. Relive them in different media platforms. Allow the survivors to speak in order to correct misinformation. It becomes a challenge now to stand up for the truth even when it’s inconvenient. History doesn't repeat itself on its own naturally; people repeat it when they choose to ignore the lessons of the past. Tomorrow, many will march the streets not just to remember or to dwell on despair but to anchor our hope in vigilance. Voices will be raised once more so that we free ourselves from corruption and inequality from the oppressor. We remember because silence, in the face of oppression, is never an option.