1. Reaction/Reflection Video no.

1 
Rumors about Ferdinand Marcos' ambitions for power in the Philippines began in 1970 after he was re-
elected to a second term as President of the Philippines. His plan A: Change the government structure
from legislative to presidential; if he is unable to serve as president, he will serve as prime minister. Plan
B, according to rumors, is to declare martial law. Protests against the government erupted early in 1970,
with a wide range of topics at stake. Philippine political and economic crises deteriorated, the peso was
devalued, unemployment increased, and agriculture and industry stalled. The government's answer was
not reform, but violence. On August 21, 1971, in front of the church in downtown Manila, at Plaza
Miranda, a grenade blast killed nine people and wounded almost a hundred more. Until today, the Plaza
Miranda event remains a mystery. Marcos is accused of being the mastermind of the blast. Marcos
suspended the writ of habeas corpus in the aftermath of Plaza Miranda. Anyone can now be arrested
without being sent to court. Massive protests compel Marcos to reinstate the writ of habeas corpus.
However, the writ suspension was already a dress rehearsal for martial law. More bombs occurred the
next year. The purpose of the moment appears to be to spread dread rather than to kill. It is noteworthy
that in the first year of Marcos' term, the spread of people who did not want his operation in our
country spread rapidly. Many protested because I think they were experiencing hardship under Marcos'
leadership. There are many who do not want him to run despite the repairs of our town or country.
Many people lost their lives there in Plaza Miranda which I regret to the people there because they are
unaware that in that area someone will throw a bomb that will cause grief to their families. This was one
of the most horrible events for me because at that time the government's answer was not reform, but
violence.

2. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 2

At the Constitutional Convention, debates centered on shifting the government from a presidential to a
parliamentary system. Delegate Napoleon Rama introduced legislation to prevent Marcos from running
for a third term. Most of the delegates would eventually sign the new constitution because they, too,
would benefit from the transitory provisions. The facts are clear that everything in the video are well-
said. Senator Aquino revealed a detailed plan to put the country under military control. Oplan Sagittarius
was the codename for the program. Senator Aquino referred to it as the blueprint for martial law, a
program to impose military rule. Gen. Romeo Espino was the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines. He was one of 12 men who assisted Marcos in secret planning that resulted in martial law.
Marcos and Imelda handled the legal aspects of implementing martial law. The military officers were in
charge of carrying out the plan. These ten military officials and two civilians became known as the Rolex
Twelve after Marcos allegedly gave each of them a Rolex Watch. And one of them was Eduardo
"Danding" Cojuangco, the governor of Tarlac province and Corazom Aquino's first cousin. Cojuangco's
role in Oplan Sagittarius could have been to keep Tarlac calm and orderly. Not all of the Rolex Twelve
were experts on Sagittarius. In 1978, Reuben Canly was a member of the opposition in the National
Assembly. He claims that the plan was divided into several parts. Marcos and Emelda handled the legal
aspects of implementing martial law. The military officers were in charge of carrying out the plan. Few
military officers dared to express their opposition to emergency rules because Marcos was the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Officers who opposed martial law were removed from
sensitive positions.

3. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 3

Enrile's automobile was ambushed, according to radio and television reports on September 22, 1972.
The incident would be used as justification for declaring martial law. However, it was a prepared
ambush. Mijares was formerly a close confidante of Marcos. He said that Marcos contacted Enrile
before the phony attack and told him to carry out the plot. "Make it seem nice, better if someone is hurt
or killed, and make sure it makes the late news," Marcos allegedly added. Enrile's automobile was
peppered with gunshots as he drove home that evening. He said he was unharmed since he was riding
in his bodyguard's car. Marcos made an announcement the next day. The announcement was made on
September 23, 1972. However, the formal date of the martial-law proclamation was September 21. One
of the smartest Filipinos of his age was the one who proclaimed martial law. He was involved in a
murder case at the age of 21, while still a law student. His father had lost the election for Ilocos Norte
congressman to the victorious candidate, Julio Nalundasan. Nalundasan was shot and died while
brushing his teeth the night following the election. Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, the wicked suspect. He
was found guilty and sentenced to 17 years in jail by the lower court. Marcos studied for the legal
examinations while in prison and came out on top. In the Sumpre Court, he defended himself. The
Supreme Court justice assigned to the Marcos case was Jose Laurel Sr., who would later become
president of the puppet republic founded by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Laur believed that a
genius that might benefit the country did not deserve to languish in prison, therefore he acquitted
Marcos. Marcos spent three terms as a legislator before running for senator and winning. Soon after, he
became Senate President, a critical position for someone who aspired to be President of the Philippines.
Even marriage was a political decision for Marcos. When he met Imelda Romualdez, he was still a
congressman. Their merger represented the union of two vote-rich areas. His calculations were
accurate. Marcos was sworn in as President of the Philippines in 1966. I believe the first term in
especially was significant in terms of infrastructural development. And you can still see that foundation
when you travel across the nation. In Marcos' first two years, 17, 000 classrooms were completed.

4. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 4

Benigno Aquino condemned militarism in the Marcos administration in his maiden Senate speech. That
same year, another controversy, the Dovie Beams affair, erupted. Dovie Beams was a Hollywood starlet
who had gone to the Philippines to perform in the film 'Maharlika,' which was based on Marcos' alleged
battle accomplishments. Marcos was rumored to be in a relationship with Dovie. When Imelda found
out about the romance, Marcos put an end to it. Dovie staged a news conference after being rejected
and enraged that he had not been compensated for her film appearance. She presented the video of her
alleged affair with Marcos. These issues were still fresh when Marcos sought for a second term in 1969.
It's a shame that Feerdinand Marcos did that because that's when he showed that he's foolish when it
comes to women because if he loves Imelda, he should be the only one. It means that Marcos
committed adultery at that time. It was one of the most shady, dishonest, and costly elections in
Philippine history. After the Plaza Miranda bombing in 1971, the public's lack of trust was even more
obvious. All of Marcos' candidates were defeated. Plaza Miranda's victims, the Liberal Party candidates,
swept the election. Break of dawn on September 23, 1972. Separate, simultaneous operations by police
and the military picked up men and women suspected of being Marcos' adversaries. Opposition leaders
like as Senator Ninoy Aquino and Jose Diokno were among those arrested. Thirty thousand people had
been imprisoned in stockades and military camps around the country in only a few months. The New
Society used the case of a specific Lim Seng to demonstrate the seriousness of the anti-crime effort. On
Marcos' instructions, a military court prosecuted Lim Seng, who was convicted of druh pushing and
condemned to death. He was shot by a firing squad. Marcos submitted a thesis on authoritarian rule, or
dictatorship, as a university student. He was now putting his thesis into action. He described his
authority as "constitutional authoritarianism," and he strove to conceal his tyranny under the guise of
legality. The Constitutional Convention was reconvened by Marcos. Those who remained had little
option after the oppositional delegates were imprisoned.

5. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 5

There is evidence that Marcos sought advice from the United States before proclaiming martial
law. President Richard Nixon Nixon did not intervene because he recognized that the US
favored tyrants who might assist prevent the rise of international communism and defend
America's interests. According to experts, the US tolerated matial law violations because
Marcos protected US military facilities and American businesses in the Philippines. When the
people's power uprising erupted in 1986, and backing for the Marcos administration
jeopardized US interests, America eventually dropped Marcos. The Armed Forces of the
Philippines was in charge of the martial law. And, as a result of martial law, the armed forces
became even more dominant. The military's power had grown, and its funding had risen.
Marcos restructured the military hierarchy to maintain allegiance. The officers from his native
area, the Ilocos, are being sought for promotions. Gen. Fabian Ver is the main beneficiary. Ver,
Marcos' provincemate and former chauffeur, rose to become one of the military regime's most
prominent leaders. Ver's devotion to Marcos was undeniable. The joke was that if Marcos
ordered Ver to jump, Ver would respond, "From what floor, sir?" Ver oversaw three agencies,
the Presidential Guard Battalion, the Armed Forces Intelligence Service, and the National
Intelligence and Security Authority, all of which were entrusted with spying on the population.
The police and military were notorious for their cruelty. The police and the military were famed for
their brutality. Amnesty international estimates that under the Marcos regime 70,000 were jailed,
34,000 were tortured, and 3,240 were killed. It's really horrifying. Nena was accused of having
communist ties. She was 19 years old at the time. She miscarried while in jail but was not taken
to the doctor. After her release, she and her husband were prominent organizers in Manila's
slums. Her husband was assassinated not long after. The army and the Philippine constabulary
were responsible for the majority of human rights crimes. To this day, the Marcos family and
former third-form authorities maintain that widespread and systemic abuses occurred.
However, in a historic case adjudicated in Hawaii, Duck decided that human rights had been
violated and ordered the Marcos to compensate 10,000 victims.

6. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 6

The regime attempted to present an image of a compassionate community in Martial Law. It is not the
picture that was portrayed in the early Mijares case. He could go into Marcos' office without an
appointment, that's how powerful he was. However, he ran across Imelda Marcos' brother, Kokoy
Romualdez. Mijares left the government and escaped to the United States, where he released "The
Conjugal Dictatorship," in which he exposed the regime's filth, including Marcos' womanizing. Mijares
vanished soon after. It is commonly assumed that he was murdered in the United States by Marcos
operatives. But on this particular day, he's unfortunate that he was not discovered. Worse came to pass
for his son Boyet, who received a phone call informing him that his father was alive and wanted to visit
him. Two weeks later, Boyet's body was discovered. He was brutally tormented. Such bleak tales were
never conveyed in the media. The Marcos' relatives and associates owned the newspapers and radio
and television stations that remained operating. And the Marcos report was never made public. New
Society buzzwords flourished in place of journalistic freedom. When Marcos ran for president, Imelda
Romualdez Marcos was naamed "Marcos' hidden weapon." During martial law, she was named "The
Iron Butterfly," as she possessed both the beauty of a butterfly and the durability of steel. At first,
Imelda was satisfied to be a wife and mother. She was more than simply the first lady; she was "the
other president," virtually as powerful as Ferdinand Marcos. She was also well-known for squandering
public monies on shopping. Critics accused her of having "Edilice complex" since she shipped up all kinds
of buildings for her daughter Irene's wedding. Imelda allegedly spent $1 million US dollars to get the
Ilocos Norte church rebuilt. A few months after the wedding, an earthquake destroyed the church.
Imelda's favorite project was the Manila Film Center. This was hurried in preparation for the Manila
International Film Festival. Two floors fell when the film center was being built, according to claims that
were never published in the media at the time. Around 200 construction workers are said to have killed
and been buried in quick-drying cement. It is supposed to be haunted by spirits and is slated for
demolition, notwithstanding Imelda Marcos' claim that no corpse or bones were left behind in that
occurrence.

7. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 7

The Lopez clan was one of Marcos' rivals; they owned a big sugar plantation and a variety of businesses,
including mining, newspapers, radio, television, and the electric company. Marcos desired everything.
He is too greedy and self-centered for me; all he cares about is his family and himself. Geny Lopez, the
nephew of former Vice President Fernando Lopez, was arrested and imprisoned on suspicion of
involvement in an assassination conspiracy against Marcos. The Lopezes decided to offer Marcos part of
their enterprises in exchange for Geny's freedom. Marcos obtained the power company and the
television station but did not fulfill his end of the contract. And Geny Lopez was imprisoned for five
years before his release, which came only after he and Serged Osmenya fled. Marcos smashed the
previous oligarchy's anti-Marcos faction, but replaced it with a new class of family and friends, the
cronies. A new system, crony capitalism, arose. Martial law helped Marcos' family enormously. Pacifico,
his doctor brother, became involved in insurance, banking, and real estate. Fortuna Barba, a sister, went
into shipping. Josefa Edralin Marcos, his mother, was given charge of logging, tobacco, and food-
processing companies. Marcos' family donated 48 firms in all. Imelda's relatives were not far behind; her
favorite brother, Kokoy Romualdez, purchased 11 significant corporations, including Lopez enterprises. .
Kokoy was even appointed ambassador to the United States. His golf friends, former classmates,
fraternity brothers, and election backers were among Marcos' cronies. At first, the economy appeared
to be faring well. Marcos brought in technocrats who were well-known professional managers. Who did
not engage in politics and had a reputation for candor. However, the good times did not last long, as the
Middle East conflict produced a rise in oil prices and a decline in export revenues. As a result, the
Philippines' debt to the World Bank and IMF has grown. It is the people of our country that are suffering,
not Malacañang. The Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army became more
powerful. The National Democratic Front was formed in the first year of martial law as a Marxist group
favoring armed action. The administration intends to build a dam in the northern uplands, destroying
entire ethnic settlements. They protest in an unusual way, much like the ladies who faced the troops
sans tops.

8. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 8

Marcos called the long-delayed elections for the Interim National Assembly. Laban would be content
with a 10-minute noise bombardment if Ninoy Aquino forged an alliance in opposition. However, it
persisted all night till the crack of day. Then I understand that the loud barrage was a forerunner of
People Power. However, after the votes were counted, the New Society Movement was declared the
winner. The obvious fraud in 1978 had unanticipated consequences. With a little help from wealthy
Filipino exiles in the United States, the Light-a-Fire Movement and the April 6 Movement were born. .
Dorit Baffrey worked for the government and was a hidden member of the April 6 Movement. She
sneaked a bomb into a convention of the American Society of Travel Agents in Manila. The bomb burst
during Marcos' address, much to the regime's chagrin. She was imprisoned in a military camp for several
years.The United States has a new president, Roland Reagan. With the Pope, John Paul II, about to visit
the Philippines, Marcos was obliged to relinquish control of the country. He declared martial law to be
lifted and held a presidential election. The opposition boycotted the elections, expecting the usual
rigging. It was commonly assumed that Marcos personally financed his opponent in order to make the
election look authentic and free. Marcos just twisted us around and rounded our heads. Ninoy Aquino
and his family were residing in America at the time. In 1980, Marcos was compelled to release his main
political adversary. Ninoy required a heart bypass, and Marcos was afraid he would be held responsible
if Ninoy died in prison. Ninoy Aquino continued to criticize the Marcos regime in the United States. After
three years in the United States, Ninoy decided to return to the Philippines and face re-incarceration.
Ninoy Aquino was a conventional politician before to the imposition of martial law. A brilliant politician,
but a typical politician. He, like Marcos, masterfully used the usual tools of Philippine elections:
weapons, thugs, and wealth. He, like Marcos, was a traitor who defected from the Nationalists to join
the Liberals when the Liberals were in power. Ninoy's life and perspective were altered as a result of his
martial law experience. He was imprisoned on suspicion of subversive murder and unlawful possession
of fireams. He was sentenced to death by a military court.

9. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 9

Ninoy and Senator Jose Diokno were once held in solitary confinement in an army camp outside of
Manila. They were kept apart for 43 days. They saw just guards, and no one knew where they were or if
they were dead or alive. Ninoy Aquino, who was imprisoned at the time, went on a 40-day hunger strike.
He came close to death. Marcos permitted Ninoy's journey to the United States, maybe in the hope that
it would undermine the opposition and improve the dictatorship's image. Those who remained in the
Philippines' opposition thought that alone could lead and unify the old opposition. Without him, the
communists would rule. Ninoy's proposal alarmed the authorities, which cancelled his passport and
threatened him with assassination if he returned home. Marcos was severely unwell at the time. His real
health remained unknown, but rumours spread that he had lupus erythematous, a potentially lethal
disease. There are several theories as to why Ninoy was not allowed to return home at the time.
Perhaps the authorities did not want Ninoy to be present when the U.S. President Reagan's state visit is
set to take place. Perhaps the administration was fearful that the National Assembly election set for
1984 might be disrupted. Perhaps Imelda and Ver were plotting a power grab after Marcos' death and
were worried that Ninoy's return would derail their plans. He applied for a passport under the name
Marcial Bonifacio. And he initially travelled to other countries to deceive the spies who were following
him. It was heartbreaking to learn that he had been slain or shot at the airport. It was also remarkable
that Ninoy was assassinated on the anniversary of the Plaza Miranda explosion. The Plaza Miranda
explosion heralded the end of democracy, while Ninoy Aquino's death signaled the end of dictatorship.
Cory and the Aquino family became the symbol of an oppressed country, and the dignity and strength
they exhibited became a reflection of what we might achieve with courage, faith, and togetherness.
With Ninoy's death, we realized how tightly we are all bound together – even more so during times of
oppression, suffering, and crisis. We found solidarity in this realization; we found the courage to take the
first steps toward a freer, fairer, more humane society; we found hope, and the courage to stake our
lives on that hope, just as he did.
10. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 10
General Fabian Ver was one of the suspects in Ninoy Aquino's killing. He will be accused and tried in a
special court after being summoned by the Agreed Commission. Marcos was compelled to let Ver to go
on vacation. After the special court acquitted Ver, Marcos reinstated him immediately. The public
outpouring of indignation grew stronger. Dissatisfaction permeated across the military ranks. The RAM
(Reformed Armed Forces Movement) was created. Protesters of many ideologies took part in the
demonstrations. Americans pressed Marcos to allow media criticism. The United States was concerned
about the deterioration of the Philippine situation, particularly the growing dominance of the Marxist
CPP-NPA-NDF coalition. Marcos' sickness was quite bad in 1985. The economy was in a slump, thieving
was rife, and the economy was mismanaged. Marcos thought he was under assault from the whole
Western administration. So, as long as the state exists, and it will remain as long as we do not act against
those who push their interests and fling their issues for us to solve in anguish and despair, we will always
have the ghost of Martial Law watching us from only inches away. While this cabaret of a democracy
entertains us with bread and circuses every couple of years, the horror that is the State and Capital
complex lurks behind it. Even if we don't see it, there is a positive and negative effect on how "arcos"
ruled the Philippines. The positive is the huge development of the properties, and the negative is the
disappearance of every individual's freedom. It's great that he gave us a good contribution, but there
should be a balance between his power and the people around him. He must listen on what people
wanted and unwanted based on what they can and cannot do.

11. Reaction/Reflection Video no. 11

In the snap election, the ruling party's candidates were Ferdinand Marcos for president and Arturo
Tolentino for vice president. Former housewife Cory Aquino and former Senator Salvador Laurel ran for
the united opposition. Crowds gathered whenever Cory and crew campaigned, as dissatisfaction with
martial law became deeper. The dictatorship used all of its filthy techniques, including brutality,
cheating, firearms, goons, and gold. The computers used to count votes at the Commission on Elections
were found to be manipulated. The count was restarted at the National Assembly after a computer
technician stepped out in protest. Despite objections from opposition MPs, the ruling party declared
Marcos and Tolentino the winners. The Reform the Armed Forces Movement began to mobilize against
Marcos. But when he learned of the plot to attack the presidential palace, the rebel forces were obliged
to take a stand within their camp. Unexpectedly, a hero came to the rescue of the rebels. People's
Power. It was the beginning of the downfall for the Marcos military administration. Cory Aquino was
sworn in as President of the Philippines at the Club Filipino. On the fourth day of People Power, Marcos
fled the palace with his family and cronies. They were transported to Hawaii by planes and helicopters
from the United States. "There has never been a single ruler in history who lived forever; learn from
history before it's too late." Ferdinand Marcos died in Hawaii in 1989. His body was allowed to return,
although it is still unburied. They continue to torment the Filipino people because the memories of the
past are still fresh.