Topic: "Mga Dahilan ng Batas Militar" September 21, 1972 - a date that changed the whole Philippine history.

The Proclamation o. 1!"1 was o##icially signed by then President $erdinand %dralin &arcos p'tting the whole archipelago 'nder martial law. (i)il rights were s'spended and military a'thority was imposed in the co'ntry. *hile loyal s'pporters wo'ld say that the declaration was indeed bene#icial to the co'ntry, critics wo'ld s'ggest that the whole period was one o# the dar+est things that has e)er happened in this land. *hen $erdinand &arcos too+ o##ice as President in 19,-, he triggered a great deal o# optimism. .e capt'red the heart o# $ilipino masses thro'gh his promise o# ma+ing this nation "great again." Pres. &arcos had a )ery s'ccess#'l #irst term in o##ice. /nder his administration, co'ntry0s in#rastr'ct're was de)eloped, agric'lt'ral prod'ction was increased, and laws on ta1 were passed to intensi#y ta1 collection. 2n 19,,, &arcos was e)en #eat'red on the co)er o# T2&% maga3ine in the /S. &arcos was ina'g'rated on 4ec. 5!, 19,9 #or his second term - a #irst in philippine history. 6't 'nli+e his pre)io's term, this term was characteri3ed by dist'rbing de)elopments. $oreign debt contin'ed to grow to billions o# pesos which ca'sed in#lation on basic commodities o# $ilipinos and rise on cost o# imported oil. 4i##erent sectors o# the co'ntry started to 7'estion &arcos0 leadership. 8cti)ism became a prominent #orcce. 9e#tists were all aro'nd. :ose &aria Sison o# the (omm'nist Party o# the Philippines ;(PP< later =oined 6ernabe 6'cayno to #orm the ew People0s 8rmy. These gro'p o# people then #o'ght the administration belie)ing that "4emocracy sho'ld be #or the whole pop'lation, not #or the elite alone." %conomic growth also slowed while crime and ci)il disobedience increased. >n :an. 2,, 197!, &arcos and 2melda were stoned by protesters a#ter he deli)ered his speech in (ongress. >n :an'ary 5!, 197!, another demonstration sprang in &alacanang. $o'r st'dent acti)ists were +illed which ca'sed shoc+ to the p'blic. 8ll these demonstrations were part o# the so-called $irst ?'arter Storm o# 197!. &eanwhile, in &indanao, the &oro ational 9iberation $ront contin'ed to #ight #or an independent &'slim nation. To s'm 'p, t'rmoil was all o)er Philippines d'ring those times. This opport'nity was then 'sed by anti-&arcos elites li+e 9ope3 and 9a'rel to attac+ &arcos by s'pporting the re)ol'tion led by (PP and to e1pose the corr'ption happening in the go)ernment.

>n 8'g'st 21, 1971, d'ring a political campaign rally o# the opposition 9iberal Party in Pla3a &iranda, two hand grenades e1ploded. ine were +illed and almost a h'ndred o# ci)ilians were in='red. 4'e to these "comm'nist ins'rgencies," &arcos s'spended the writ o# habeas corp's - a writ ;legal action< that re7'ires a person 'nder arrest to be bro'ght be#ore a ='dge or into co'rt. 8nd on a #ate#'l night o# Sept. 22, 1972, #ormer 4e#ense Secretary :'an Ponce %nrile was said to be attac+ed by ci)ilian men while he was in *ac+*ac+ S'bdi)ision in &andal'yong (ity. This e)ent was later 'sed by &arcos to ='sti#y his declaration o# martial law. 2t was a midnight o# September 25, 1972 - two days a#ter the o##icial signing - when &arcos #ormally anno'nced the proclamation )ia li)e broadcast on national tele)ision.