Remembering Martial Law

Free Legal Assistance Group, IBP Cebu City Chapter, and the UP Political Science Program convened NEVER AGAIN Stories of Repression, Resistance and Heroism. Prof. Henry Francis B. Espiritu, the coordinator of the UP Cebu Political Science Program, provided a very inspiring opening reflection, which he allowed me to quote extensively here.

At first, he quoted the Old Testament Prophet Micah:  “The Lord has shown you a better way of piety…to liberate the poor and to help the oppressed; cling to what is good! What the Lord requires of you is not sacrifices nor prayer rituals but to struggle for justice, to be compassionate and to work for the emancipation of the poor, the widows and the orphans!”

To emphasize the significance of the activity he recalled the ideas of Frantz Fanon asserting the “creative and redemptive roles that storytelling and memory-reminiscing play in achieving genuine liberation and transformation of peoples who were oppressed by colonization, neo-colonialization and militarization.”

And he elaborated saying “Memory is powerful and it is redemptive. Activist-heroes who gave their lives during that blight and treacherous regime paid the cost of their heroism and valor not cheaply—some were raped, maimed, incarcerated without just reasons and others were cruelly butchered for standing against the Conjugal Dictatorship. The memory of this enslavement and the narratives of courage in our efforts to struggle against the dark elements of brute power can be harnessed as effective sources of national zeal and as a potent bulwark against any attempts to restore dictatorship, militarization and Martial Rule in our midst! Never again! So we declare this slogan from within the inner core of our very being.”

“However, the remembrance of that unhappy event of Martial Law and the subsequent joy of our national redemption when we had successfully extricated ourselves from the grip of the dictator will only be beneficial for us and our nation if it is kindled with a pro-active and liberating hope; and not just a fatalistic kind of hope. A memory devoid of the promise for our continuing national liberation is an empty useless hope—it is nothing but wishful thinking that can even lead us back to social apathy and political leniency! Real hope for the future must be geared towards integral national liberation and total societal emancipation. Pro-active hope for the future of our country is achieved in the midst of the struggle towards genuine and total redemption of our nation from all sinister powers of darkness and death.”

“The lessons we learn should actively prod us to work vigorously in building a truly democratic Philippines where peace, joy, equality and love eventually triumph in our midst and where authentic socio-politico and economic liberation will be fully realized by every Filipino, hopefully in our lifetime.”

And truly, it was an enlightening afternoon for all of us.  A researcher on the history of Cebu could learn a lot from the discussion of Judge Meinrado Paredes. Before the declaration of Martial Law, he was a student activist; upon the declaration he was reviewing for the bar examinations. Later he became a FLAG lawyer. He informed the political science students regarding the various student groups, radical and moderate. He discussed the issues they raised: national, local, and sectoral: poverty; foreign domination; corruption; independence of the student government and student publication, representation in decision-making bodies; improvement of school facilities; the demand for a nationalistic, scientific,  relevant, and democratic educational system.

He did not discuss the many times he was approached to defend students arrested for joining protests such as those against the oil price hikes. Nor did he mention how he helped friends and relatives of those who “disappeared”. He had interesting ways of trying to locate them.

Bong Wenceslao narrated experiences of the people who were just beginning to transcend their fears in a militarized situation. For young males the presence of females—colegialas from STC— was an added encouragement to join rallies. He also mentioned that in a rally where the presence of military agents brought tension on the rallyists, his manhood was challenged by the colegialas who initiated the shouting of slogans.

Speaking from experience, he impressed upon the students that armed revolution is a very serious matter (“It is not a picnic”); people die here. He recalled the march-procession from Redemptorist Church moving toward Fuente Osmeña. He recalled how fire trucks with water were used to disperse the marchers. Fr. Rudy Romano and   Fr. Abdon Josol were arrested.  That reminded me that the religious were reliable allies then. Several priests declared that participating in the struggle was the most authentic expression of their priesthood.

Dr. Rhodora Masilang Bucoy revealed that she was arrested even if she was heavy with child. Her husband was also arrested and tortured. But, she pointed out how songs really raised the spirits during those grim times.

Atty. Democrito Barcenas, an opposition Vice Mayor of Carcar then was arrested, too. This was very trying for his wife who was pregnant as she religiously visited him and worked for his case.

The reactors all urged continued vigilance for much remains to be done, despite EDSA. Much needs to be done, since the culture of impunity and traditional politics remain.  Ahmed Cuizon (now in public office) called on the students to “resist tyranny; continue to question public policy; resist conformity, think differently.” The student, James Uaminal urged his fellow youth to avoid being absorbed by “apathy and cynicism”.