Walking down the street or scrolling through your social media feed today seems like it is an average, no-special day—but today marks the 50th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law on national television. Every year, we debate whether to commemorate martial law on September 21st or September 23rd. While most individuals, groups, institutions, and even the media would observe Sept. 21 as Remembrance Day, history accounts emphasize that the declaration of Martial Law—the picture of Marcos Sr. on television that is etched into our collective memory—actually occurred on the evening of Sept. 23.
Records show that on September 21st, Filipinos were still free to exercise their democratic rights. On that day, there was a protest in Plaza Miranda, Congress was still in session; during which Benigno Aquino Jr. delivered a privilege speech, and media outlets were still open. According to the public journal and main publication of the government of the Philippines—The Official Gazette, the date that Martial Law was fully implemented, occurred after Ferdinand Marcos's statewide address to the nation: September 23, 1972. The military began to intervene in the wee hours of the 23rd. Personalities deemed a potential threat to Marcos—senators Jose Diokno, Aquino Jr., Ramon Mitra Jr., and Francisco Rodrigo, along with journalists Joaquin Roces, Teodoro Locsin Sr., Maximo Soliven, and Amando Doronila, had already been rounded up by then, beginning with Senator Aquino's detention at midnight on September 22, extending until the early hours of September 23, when the hundred out of the 400 people requested for questioning were already detained at Camp Crame by 4 in the morning.
But, in an era when even the most fundamental facts are being altered, it is critical that, in addition to honoring the thousands of deaths, we also recall the specific details of this period in our history. If we're going to honor the 11,103 who survived, the 70,000 arrested, the 34,000 tormented, and the 21 years of illusory tranquility, shouldn't we also remember that it all started on September 23rd, when the nation awoke deprived of its rights?
Today marks the golden anniversary of the so-called “golden age” of the Philippines. Not everyone remembers this, not everyone acknowledges this, nor even believes anymore. In an age where all information is accessible, we must be accountable to learn our history and truths. I know it is tormenting to just focus on ourselves, our studies, and our growth. Live a life we all wanted and not think of anybody except for ourselves and our family’s welfare, but forgetting our past is forgetting all the ones that fought for our rights.—we may not know, maybe one of our own great grandparents is one of them.
If we are to remember anything, we must remember it all too well.
Illustration by: Koryne Escauriaga Pangilinan
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