Martial Law in the Philippines: A Comparison of Then and Now

Chapter 2: Review of Literature and Theoretical Framework

Related Literature and Studies

This section of the paper provides necessary information regarding the

topic being discussed. It includes related data to supplement the topic

specifically with connection to the declaration of martial law in the Philippines

during the Marcos regime, and Duterte’s current administration. It also

includes information to be cited in the analysis of the topic.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2019), “Martial law is the

law administered by military forces that is invoked by a government in an

emergency when the civilian law enforcement agencies are unable to

maintain public order and safety.” In the Philippines, three martial laws have

been declared by the president of each administration, mainly due to the

absurd rebellions and violence committed by militant forces.

The late president Ferdinand E. Marcos was the first president to

declare martial law in the Philippines. On September 21, 1972, Marcos signed

Proclamation No. 1081, declaring that the Philippines is under martial law.

The news was issued by the only newspaper allowed to circulate during the

declaration which was the Sunday Express of the Philippine Daily Express.

(Official Gazette, 2019)

Before the declaration, Marcos himself has recognized specific events

to justify the declaration of Martial Law: the growing number of Communist

forces that were planning to overthrow the government, and the ambush of his

Minister of Defense, Juan Ponce Enrile. However, there were several reports
that most of the rebellions were formed after the declaration, and not before,

thus, making Marcos’ assumption about the communist forces, questionable.

Also, the ambush of his Minister of Defense was reportedly staged, which was

later on admitted by Juan Ponce Enrile himself. (Martial Law Museum)

Marcos also announced about a rebellion in Mindanao caused by the

Muslim’s and Christian’s land feud, which he thought was a threat to the

nation’s security. According to an article by the Philippine History (2019), the

minority group, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) formed an organization

alliance in Malaysia, and fought for the independence of Mindanao from the

national government and was supported by most Filipinos. Reforms on social

and political values were done during Martial law. It was mainly imposed on

Marcos’ elite rivals, such as denying them of power and patronage to achieve

national welfare.

In addition, during Marcos’ regime, crimes were also reduced,

unregistered firearms were collected, and communist insurgency were lessen

in some places. There was also a growth in the country’s gross national

product or GDP, however, the people’s income was lessen. The agrarian

reform and the sugar industry was not properly organized, thus, only a few

farmers were able to benefit from it. Furthermore, the demand for agricultural

products dropped, and were sold for lower prices. The government later on

borrowed money from the international banking community, which made the

Philippines in debt up until today. There were also reports of corruption

among government officials which worsened the situation of the country.

(Borlaza et. al, 2019)

 On May 25, 2017, President Duterte issued his declaration of martial

law over Mindanao (Proclamation No. 216, series of 2017) under the 1987

Constitution, which limits the President’s powers to put any part of the

Philippines under martial law and suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas

corpus, only during cases “of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety

requires it.” (Angara, 2017)

The rebels who ignited the siege are known as the Maute Group, a

terrorist group from Mindanao. They were seen waving the flag of the

international terrorist group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS,

which signified the claimed alliance between the terrorist groups. (Diola, 2017)

The center of the battle was in Marawi City. The rebels took shelter in

the hospital and the city jail, and later on burned down a school and a church

to ashes to terrorize the people. Some of the locals, students, and

government staff were also held captive by the militants. Approximately 1000

people died, and 350,000 were physically and psychologically affected during

the war. Moreover, the war left 95% of Marawi ruined. Roughly, 3,000 building

were destroyed, 900 heavily damaged, and 1,200 structures were partially

damaged. (Shahpur, 2019)

Since then, peace has slowly been restored. The investors of the island

of Mindanao resumed, continued their businesses, thus helping the

recovering economy. Also, the military helped in protecting and respecting the

civilians, and also their rights. In contrast with the fear of the past dictatorship,

there are no reported abuses by the military and the declaration of martial law

was generally civil and at peace. This shows how the declaration helped the

recovery of the island in terms of peace and security. (Hernandez, 2018)

 Marcos’ and Duterte’s declaration of martial law were vaguely different

from each other. The past dictatorship brought terror and fear among the

Filipino people which affects their perspective on the martial law in Mindanao.

According to Strangor (2011), a person’s point of view about a certain

situation can be attributed by the kind of environment they live in or the past

experiences they have encountered. Negative events experienced by people

can have a big influence on how they feel and respond about a certain issue

or topic.

Because of the trauma brought by the Marcos regime, most Filipinos

especially from the other islands were hesitant and concerned about the

martial law in Mindanao, fearing that what happened during the dark past

might happen again today.

Theory Base

This study is supported by the theories of emergency powers:

The theories of emergency power states that in an American

democracy based government, martial law should have the capacity to

balance securing the people’s rights and protecting the country’s welfare. In

line with the expansion of terrorism and violence in the twenty-first century

which could stir panic and fear among the people, contemplating about the

best approach to take on without sacrificing the nation’s values is essential.

Increasing the government’s involvement in creating such response during an

emergency is advantageous in a critical situation compared to the power held

by an ordinary government.
Conceptual Framework

Martial Law in the Philippines

1972-1986 2017-2019

 Type of Declaration  Type of Declaration

 Affected Area Terrorism  Affected Area

and Violence

 Civilan structure  Civilan structure

 Military Rule  Military Rule

Research Assumptions /Research Hypothesis (es)

 Null Hypothesis:

No difference exists between the 1972 declaration and the 2017

declaration of Martial law.

 Alternative Hypothesis:

A difference exists between the 1972 declaration and the 2017

declaration of Martial law.

References:

Borlaza, G., Cullinane, M., Hernandez, C. (2019). Philippines. Retrieved from

Diola, C. (2017). A look into Duterte’s reasons for martial law. Retrieved from

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/05/26/1703505/look-dutertes-reasons-

martial-law-mindanao

Hernandez, F. (2018). The vote: Martial law has brought positive effects in the whole

island. Retrieved from https://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/2018/12/the-

vote-martial-law-has-brought-positive-effects-in-the-whole-island/

https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial%20law
Jhangiani, R. and H. Tarry. (2014). Principles of Social Psychology – 1st

International Edition. Victoria, B.C.: BCcampus. Retrieved from

https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsycholo

Martial Law Museum. (n.d.). Declaration of martial law. Retrieved from

https://martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/declaration-of-martial-law/

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2019. Martial law. Retrieved from

Official Gazette. (2019). Declaration of martial law. Retrieved from

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/declaration-of-martial-law/alert