Marcos/Duterte: Is History Repeating Itself?
By Clyde Anderson
Recently, we recalled the 48th year of the late strongman Marcos’ declaration of martial law in the whole Philippine archipelago. Despite the full long years of being under a so-called sovereignty, the same atrocities and human rights violations are made by the newly labeled “globally infamous dictator” — Duterte.
Killings
Marcos’ martial law recorded 3,275 EJKs, with 35,000 individual tortures, and 70,000 jailed for going against the regime. Aside from this, 737 Filipinos disappeared from the years 1975–1985. Since Duterte came into power in 2016, there have been 5,105 drug personalities who died, according to January 2019 data. News organizations and human rights groups claim that the actual death toll in the country is at 20,000. In 2015, some of the EJK victims included 54 children. They are not just statistics, they are student activists, active critiques, community organizers and helpers, religious persons, which are neither both the administrations’ nor the nation’s enemy. The death toll will increase in number so long as we keep electing strongmen with no value to human rights and press freedom, like Marcos and Duterte.
Economy
During this pandemic, the Philippine government has already enacted two reactionary/stimulus policies aiming to sustain the Filipinos as we go through this time. Alongside these BAHO and BARO laws, because of COVID-19, the total debt we owe is at 13.7T dollars in loans from different international entities. Yet, we are forced to ask ourselves, where is the money going when we always hear “wala na tayong pera” from our chief executive? Over to Marcos’ atrocities, we all know about the ill-gotten wealth of his family: Imelda’s filthy rich shopping sprees such as shoes where hundreds of which are displayed in the Marikina Shoe Museum); Bongbong’s hunting grounds in Palawan’s Calauit Island, which displaced the local IPs and put a strain on its ecosystem; and even the tuition fee of Marcos’ children come from taxpayers’ money yet to think they still did not have legitimate education according to records. Imeldific projects also abounded during Marcos’ time: the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the different organ center hospitals, The San Juanico Bridge which serves as the grand gesture of love akin to the Taj Mahal, among others. Over to Duterte’s rule, we are forced to look at preposterous projects such as the Manila Bay White Sand Project. The common Filipino will see the rotten intentions and the filth in this project’s implementation. We know this is already an exhibit of incompetence and a lack of prioritization. However, citizens’ perspectives are still divided on this, some believing that it could actually help to ease mental health problems. With that, we need to ask ourselves, “sa mga administrasyong ito, umunlad ba tayo o mas nabaon pa tayo sa utang?”
Winnability, Strategy of Fear, Lies, and Promises
When then Davao Mayor, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte expressed his intent to run for president, many were hyped and believed that he is about to bring change. Here comes a promising candidate, a veteran of a politician, hailing from Mindanao, with an improved Davao City in his credentials and a supportive following to boot. When Marcos first ran for president, everybody loved him too. His image was that of a so-called decorated war hero and a bar top-notcher. Here is an intelligent man, with great plans for the country. In the heat of both their political careers, both men identified a central problem in the country.
For PRRD, it’s drugs that destroy Filipino lives and families. For Marcos, it’s the prevalence of the NPA which “threatens the peaceful lives of the Filipinos.” These dilemmas were the key points in their campaigns — posing these threats as the main problems of the nation, and hailing themselves as the heroes to solve such problems. It seems like these strongmen have got us, the Filipino people. They will “save” us from drugs, from terrorists, and chaos. They used their carefully conjured narrative to make us think that we need them in office when they just need us to vote for them so they can continue with their agenda. What of Duterte’s promise to eradicate drugs within 3 to 6 months of his term? That he will make the travel from Quezon City to Makati in 15 minutes possible? What of Marcos’ promises of rice, roads, and school buildings? Were the lives of farmers better then? Were the promised school buildings came to fruition? We simply cannot trust politicians who imply that they are some savior, and we all are victims. A good man in office will equip and enable the Filipinos, not forward the story that they needed to be “saved from themselves.”
Militarization
Marcos and Duterte kept the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police happy. They are paid generously, and their morale is kept high. In return, they are in full support of these presidents and are always at the chief executives’ disposal. During this pandemic, we have seen the PNP in the camouflage uniform manning checkpoints, we have seen tanks deployed without the need, we have seen men shot by these uniformed men just because they are outside during quarantine. What does this say about the kind of power our current president wishes to rule over his citizens? In Marcos’ time, there was the Philippine Constabulary. Accounts of them torturing activists, religious leaders, and dissenters have been documented. Most of these people are sadly yes-men because of the system in the army and police. They are just following the chain of command, and doing otherwise would mean subordination. As such, he who must be held accountable is the commander-in-chief of all armed forces. At present, this is President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. In Marcos’ regime, it is President Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos. They must be held accountable for their actions, and inactions; for their discretions and their indiscretions. Not to mention, both of these presidents have appointed military men to key positions these men have no business being in, meaning they neither have sufficient background or credentials.
Are we in a so-called de facto Martial Law? Have we doomed ourselves to letting history repeat itself? When all is said and done, will Duterte run for a third term amidst backlash and constitutionality? Will the Filipino let these atrocities happen again and again? Do we never learn? Our collective perspectives, memories of Martial Law and COVID-19, and decisions will merit something in the 2022 elections. May we never forget, say never again, and always hold on to the thought that Marcos is not a hero.
With the parallelisms exhibited, is it true? #MarcosDuterteWalangPinagiba
