Editorial
These words ring ominously today as an ode to the plight of the Filipino people during the first Martial Law. Forty-eight years ago, this declaration plunged us into an era of darkness and tyranny, now remembered as a time of rampant corruption, plunder, oppression, and killing.
“Never again, never forget.”
Despite these vows, it haunts us still: brought to life by a dictator of a different name, this time with no warning or declaration. Indeed, the reality we live in now is in fact the same as the reality experienced during the Marcos tyranny as Duterte continues to seize power at every opportunity with his militaristic response to the pandemic.
The facets of his de facto martial law are carried out discreetly, in steps, to condition the public as it gradually works its way towards a full-blown dictatorship.
We continue to witness how the Duterte administration is doing nothing to address the pandemic, instead treating the lockdowns and limited movement of the masses as a window of opportunity for the administration to weaponize the law against dissent.
Time and time again, the coronavirus outbreak has been used to justify actions that violate our democratic rights, and the violent dispersal of mobilizations calling for mass testing and cash aid. Peasants and critics alike have been targeted more than the virus itself, as protestors remain a threat to authority’s gross struggle for power like they were during the Marcos regime.
A full-on media blackout has not been imposed (yet), but attacks on the press and media have escalated rapidly. Despite the need for timely and reliable avenues of information — especially during the ongoing national public health crisis — Duterte seeks to constrict freedom of expression and press. The largest local broadcasting network, ABS-CBN, has been dissolved once again under another dictatorship. Smaller journalists and writers continue to be harassed and threatened by the administration, who go as far as to arrest those reporting about the reality of human rights violations in the country and tag them as terrorists.
Even then, there is no need to be affiliated to the press to be red tagged and persecuted. The passing of the unconstitutional Anti-Terror Law has made speaking against government policies dangerous and life-threatening, putting activists — ordinary citizens — more at risk of unwanted surveillance and targeted attacks, which have been on the rise throughout the pandemic.
The signs are clear: democracy is under attack. For as long as these tyrants are in power, they will keep pulling out all the stops to silence us if it means maintaining the current system where they are in control — even if it means keeping us locked in our homes forever. Turning a blind eye to the government’s attempts at normalizing fascism will cost us our freedom and worse, our lives — be wary and vigilant, know your rights, and continue to fight against tyranny.
