Martial law was portrayed as a ‘dark chapter’ in Philippine history because it was written by the “victors,” according to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Marcos echoed the statements of his father, late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., in stating that martial law was proclaimed to defeat the armed revolt on two fronts – a week before the martial law anniversary on Sept. 21.
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He stated that military authority was required to avoid escalating instability created by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) and the Moro National Liberation Front, a Muslim separatist movement (MNLF).
“Martial law was declared because of the two wars we’re fighting on two fronts and that is in the countryside, the CPP-NPA was fomenting revolution. They wanted to bring down the government through violent means so the government had to defend itself. The second front was the secessionist movement down in the south led by MNLF and chairman Nur Misuari at the time, he started that uprising, the secessionist movement, and that eventually turned into violence and essentially war that was even supported,” said Marcos during his one-on-one interview with Toni Gonzaga.
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However, Marcos said that this side of history is rarely taught in classrooms since the winners’ perception of events, particularly that of the “resistance,” predominates. The death of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., the leading opposition leader, had a role in rallying resistance to the Marcos Sr. regime.
“Because the victors write history, don’t they? It is the victors in a conflict that will write history. The government fell, so the victors wrote this history and that’s what is being taught in schools and that’s what you heard and learned. Those reasons were expounded at great length during my father’s time pero siyempre nag polarize na so kalaban na, naging kalaban na. So yung kalaban, silang sumusulat ngayon ng history. Ayan ang nangyayari kaya ganyan ang natutunan ng tao,” he added.
