Philippines remembers ex-dictator Marcos' harsh rule

By Roy Ramos

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines

Thousands of protesters gathered in different parts of the country Thursday to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by ex-President Ferdinand Marcos, some of whom compared the former dictator to current President Rodrigo Duterte.

While some Marcos loyalists continue to claim the martial law era as a "golden age" of Philippines, many see the time as a period of widespread oppression and abuse.

On the evening of Sept. 23, 1972, Marcos came on national television and declared martial law in the Philippines, following which anyone who spoke against him could be arrested.

At least 75,000 imprisonments, 34,000 torture victims and more than 3,000 deaths were recorded by the end of the military rule, which was formally lifted on Jan. 17, 1981.

Among the massive human rights violations, which mostly went unreported, were torture, rape and sexual abuse, while many others just disappeared from the face of the earth during those dark years of the country’s history.

Some protesters on Thursday likened the reign of the current president and his self-declared bloody drug war in the Philippines to the Marcos-era tyranny.

“Practically martial law is already imposed as thousands have already been killed by police and vigilantes. This administration has even recorded more deaths than in the 14 years that Marcos ruled,” former lawmaker Walden Bello who joined protesters told Rappler, a Philippines-based online news portal.

Since taking office in June last year, Duterte’s anti-drug campaign has led to the deaths of more than 7,000 people, according to Human Rights Watch.

Police dispute figures circulated by international rights groups and claim 2,700 were killed during such operations.

Former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said justice for the extrajudicial killings must be sought.

Aquino is the son of former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino III -- one of the leaders who formed the small opposition against Marcos. After a three-year exile in the United States, Ninoy had decided to return to the Philippines to lead the mounting opposition against Marcos, but later he was shot in the head just a few seconds after he exited the airplane.

Ninoy’s assassination then fueled the desire among people to end the Marcos dictatorship and it eventually culminated into People Power Revolution of 1986.

Ninoy’s wife, Corazon Aquino, had taken over the country's presidency when Marcos was forced to flee after the revolt.