BICOL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PHILOSOPHY

Daraga, Albay

REFLECTIVE ANALYSES ON
TORTYUR

Submitted by:

Aculan, Omar L.
AB Political Science – 1B
 Reflection on TORTYUR:

Human Rights Violations During the Marcos Regime

By Professor Michael Xiao B. Chua

Thirteen years of persecution and torture is not enough for the Filipinos to learn from the
horrible mistakes of the past. We have welcomed to our loving arms the infamous family who once
destroyed and tainted our history. The Philippines was raped, tortured, and killed under the Marcos
regime. At present, the dictator’s surviving other half is at the quest of curating a picturesque
portrait of her family as the Juan dela Cruz’s long lost messiah who shall bring forth peace, comfort,
and freedom in our country. It is disheartening to imagine how there are people who wish to be
under dictatorial rule, because they felt that our country suffered even more after the People Power
revolution. Truly, it is difficult to witness the reality of our society if we have become blind, deaf,
and mute due to our privileges. As the famous quote goes, “Check your privileges”. This expose by
Michael Charleston Chua hopes to be an avenue for truth to prevail by re-telling the condition of the
Philippines during the Martial Law.

Marcos employed his phantasy of a New Society, where peace and order prevail in the
country, as a means of securing his greed and power. His visions were fictitious and mythical, aimed
at justifying the act of amassing billions from the people and dehumanizing them in return. In order
to carry-out his serpentine plan, he launched a nationwide militarization scheme, which enticed a
large number of Filipinos to volunteer and join the armed forces. Of course, Marcos had to gain
their unconditional trust and utmost loyalty. To do this, he bestowed unto them the freedom to
exercise and even abuse their military powers. This perversion of authority ultimately led to the
innumerable incidents of human rights violations. The absence of official tabulations of the abuses
clearly suggest how powerful the authorities back then to manipulate the news and coerce the
victims to keep mum. In any case, the truth of the matter stands still: offenses against human rights
were present under the dictatorial regime. No matter how the supporters and apologists of the
government argue that the victims deserved their fate, since they went against the law, this does
not account for the suffering they endured.

Different forms of torture propagated the soldierly rule. To his vocal and dogmatic political
opponents, Marcos made use of psychological warfare to gradually instill fear. He was wise enough
and wanted to make sure no one would contend with his policies and programs. The result was,
only a few of the ordinary citizens knew about the anomalies, thus refuting the claims of injustices.
In spite of Marcos projecting his administration as maka-masa and portraying himself as the
“Father of the Filipino People”, the physical torment that the innocent civilians encountered is
hardly comprehendible. Women did not escape the wrath of the military and became their
“trophies”, a reward for their unconditional fealty to their leader. Most of the rape cases were never
pursued, since the victims felt it would tarnish the image and dignity as members of the society.
Moreover, it is the fear of judgment and prejudice towards their sexuality and capability that they
withheld among themselves. Unquestionably, the effects of military rule impacted the entire society
more than the individual himself. Familial and collegial relationships weakened, because the people
did not know whom to trust anymore.

Having read a handful of Aquino’s accounts on the atrocities committed during the Martial
Law, I could not prevent myself from doubting the existence of such violations. The amount and
level of transgression was both insurmountable and unfathomable, to the point where I thought
“This can’t possibly be true.” Indeed, this is what the Marcoses want to happen to every Filipino—to
forget and forgive them for their wrongdoings. He emerged triumphant in erasing all of the
gruesome images of the Martial Law and retained a picture of good governance and leadership.
However, the voices continue to speak. The wounds that never healed are reminders of their
unfortunate experiences. The Martial Law did not provide a better life for the Filipino people.
Hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children died in the name of greed and evil.
The discipline, stable life, and economic growth were all masks to cover the bitter yesteryears of
our history. Let the stories of our fellow countrymen who died martyrs—defending our rights as
human beings and as citizens of the state, be perpetually heard for the generations to come. We
must remain vigilant and observant regarding the activities of our government and do whatever it
takes to ascertain that the same mistake shall never befall in the near future. NEVER AGAIN TO
MARTIAL LAW.