Philippines as a

Democratic
Country
subjects:. Readings in the Philippine History
 What is democracy

How Philippines restore democracy

CONTENTS
Importance of knowing history
What is democracy?

 Democracy means rule by the people, as contrasted

with rule by a special person or group.

 It is a system of decision making in which everyone

who belongs to the political organism making the
decision is actually or potentially involved.

 They all have equal power.

 Declaration of Martial Law

 The elder Marcos announced the declaration of martial law on

Sept. 23, 1972, although the official document, Proclamation No.
1081, s. 1972, was dated two days earlier. It was nominally lifted
on Jan. 17, 1981.

 He was ousted in February 1986 during the people power or

EDSA revolution.

 The martial law era reportedly led to 3,257 extrajudicial killings,

35,000 documented tortures, 77 forced disappearances and
70,000 incarcerations.
 Marcos declared martial law, claiming that it was the last defense
against the rising disorder caused by increasingly violent student
demonstrations, the alleged threats of communist insurgency by the
new Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the Muslim
separatist movement of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

 One of his first actions was to arrest opposition politicians in

Congress and the Constitutional Convention.
 The downfall of Marcos and the return of
democratic government

 The assassination of Benigno Aquino as he returned to Manila in

August 1983 was generally thought to have been the work of the
military; it became the focal point of a renewed and more heavily
supported opposition to Marcos’s rule
 Late 1985, because of inside and outside pressure to Marcos the
Philippines called a snap presidential election on for February 1986
 Corazon C. Aquino, Benigno’s widow, became the candidate of a
coalition of opposition parties. Marcos was declared the official
winner, but strong public outcry over the election results precipitated
a revolt that by the end of the month had driven Marcos from power.
Aquino then assumed the presidency.
The 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution gathered millions of Filipinos
from all walks of life to march along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue
(EDSA), the main artery of Metro Manila, to end the dictatorship of
President Ferdinand E. Marcos and begin a new era marked by true
freedom and democracy.
 How Philippines Restore it's Democracy

 The Philippines went through its transition from a dictatorship to an open

democratic society in 1986. The road of transition has not been easy; it has not
been short.

 A generally shared commitment to democracy provided the common thread

behind all the many initiatives under the transition. This provided the fundamental
framework for all the strategies and major policies that the transition government
pursued in various fields.

 In the case of the Philippines, we had the blessing of an icon of democracy, who
headed the transition government, and who was very broadly trusted: President
Cory Aquino, who had her mind and heart in the right place. In an open
democratic society, however, there were more than a few loud critics, who could
now use the free press to ventilate their criticisms openly
Importance of knowing History and Martial Law
In our modern world, only few pays attention on the importance of Philippine
history, most of us indulge ourselves on the new trends, technology, and other
modernly objects; it consumes majority of ur time giving us hardly any time to
study our country's remnants. The importance of the Philippine history is almost
the same as childhood memories. Remembering our childhood make us aware
of our developments, growth, achievements, mannerism, and all the important
parts of our lives; while for the Philippine history, it makes us conscious of the
country's foundation. More importantly Remembering is honoring the victims
and survivors of martial law and celebrating their lives and sacrifices.
Remembering helps counter revisionist attempts to deodorize the dictator’s
odious regime and sanitize the sins of the Marcoses against the Filipino people.
Remembering is essential in demanding accountability.
Importance of knowing History
Studying Philippine history is very important because we can learn
how our country started and also how our country improves little by
little. It also gives us prior knowledge on how to solve modern
issues, we just need to improvise it in accordance of our time. In
summation, history serves as a guide of every Filipino for present
and future plans. Educating ourselves with our country's history is
somehow linked to the appreciation of the effort and achievements
of our national heroes. It also develops our national identity and
strengthens our sense of nationalism. Therefore, as part of this
country, we must know our root, and be proud of our nationality.
 Thank you for
listening
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