The streets were once a battleground, the sounds of gunfire and screams echoing through the night. The air was thick with fear, as if the very atmosphere itself was suffocating under the weight of oppression. It's hard to believe it's been decades since martial law gripped our country, yet the memories remain as vivid as yesterday's headlines.
Can we ever truly move forward when the ghosts of our past continue to whisper reminders of the scars that still linger, the loved ones lost, and the freedom that was forever silenced?
The clock struck evening, and the nation was plunged into darkness as President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law, imposing strict curfews, censorship, and a reign of terror on September 21, 1972. The news had been publicly announced two days after the declaration, on September 23, 1972. From that point onwards, the law imposed security and defense towards the government against threats received from communists. Since then, the dictatorial regime has started to dominate control in the country.
For several centuries past, the remains of the precedented dictatorship still scattered unwanted fragments. There in the era of the declaration, the Philippines had undergone several implementations of curfew policies, shutdown of publications, as well as the banning of group assemblies and firearms. In a general sense, these appointed limitations subside with violence and violation when time opposes an inch of these rules.
Lowering it to the individuals, because the hunt for activists and communists had been relevant of the age, it has caused the law to not respond correspondingly. Due to this, inhumane activities had been entirely present on some regular countrymen the whole era. Without consideration, the whole declaration had been an instrument for Human Rights Violation.
The memory of that fateful night is etched in our collective consciousness, serving as a reminder of the horrors that followed.
For 14 years, the country was under military rule, with over 70,000 people imprisoned, 34,000 tortured, and over 3,200 killed. The toll of human rights violations is staggering, with countless lives lost, families torn apart, and communities shattered.
For years, many voices were muffled and not heard. For years, many hands were stained in red and burgundy. For years, many individuals were abused and burdened. It's about time we realize how long we have been away from this era. It's the time to commemorate the 52nd Anniversary of Martial Law.
As our country reminisces about the declaration, the echoes of screams, tears, and bloodshed still reverberate, a haunting reminder that the darkness can never be erased—only illuminated by the courage to confront and learn from its horrors.
From darkness to dawn, we rise strong and free, for the Philippines will never be once more held in tyranny.
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