Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos

Quick Facts: Who was Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos?

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Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos

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Period of authoritarian rule in the Philippines marked by human rights abuses.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

on September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he had placed the Philippines under martial law, stating he had done so in response to the "communist threat" posed by the newly founded Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the sectarian "rebellion" of the Muslim Independence Movement (MIM). Opposition figures of the time (such as Lorenzo Tañada, Jose W. Diokno, and Jovito Salonga) accused Marcos of exaggerating these threats and using them as an excuse to consolidate power and extend his tenure beyond the two presidential terms allowed by the 1935 constitution. Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, marking the beginning of a fourteen-year period of one-man rule, which effectively lasted until Marcos was exiled from the country on February 25, 1986. Proclamation No. 1081 was formally lifted on January 17, 1981, by Proclamation No. 2045, although Marcos retained essentially all of his powers as dictator until he was ousted in February 1986. This nine-year period in Philippine history is remembered for the Marcos administration's record of human rights abuses, particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Based on the documentation of Amnesty International, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, and similar human rights monitoring entities, historians believe that the Marcos dictatorship was marked by 3,257 known extrajudicial killings, 35,000 documented tortures, 737 enforced disappearances, and 70,000 incarcerations. After Marcos was ousted, government investigators discovered that the declaration of martial law had also allowed the Marcoses to hide secret stashes of unexplained wealth that various courts later determined to be "of criminal origin". While Marcos's presidency began in late 1965, this article is limited to the period in which he exercised dictatorial powers under martial law, and the period where he continued to wield those powers despite lifting the proclamation in 1981. Numerous explanations have been put forward as reasons for Marcos to declare martial law in September 1972, some of which were presented by the Marcos administration as official justifications, and some of which were dissenting perspectives put forward by either the mainstream political opposition or by analysts studying the political economy of the decision. In his 1987 treatise, Dictatorship & Martial Law: Philippine Authoritarianism in 1972, University of the Philippines public administration professor Alex Brillantes Jr. identifies three reasons expressed by the Marcos administration, saying that martial law: was a response to various leftist and rightist plots against the Marcos administration; was just the consequence of political decay after American-style democracy failed to take root in Philippine society; and was a reflection of Filipino society's history of authoritarianism and supposed need for iron-fisted leadership.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The first two justifications were explicitly stated in Proclamation 1081, which cited two explicit justifications: "to save the republic" (from various plots); and "to reform society" (after the failure of American-style democracy). The third rationalization arose from the administration's propaganda, which portrayed Marcos as a hypermasculine or ultranationalist figure able to compel the obedience of supposedly "spoiled" Filipinos. Opposition to Marcos's declaration of martial law ran the whole gamut of Philippine society – ranging from impoverished peasants whom the administration tried to chase out of their homes; to the Philippines' political old-guard, whom Marcos had tried to displace from power; to academics and economists who disagreed with the specifics of Marcos's martial law policies. All of these, regardless of their social position or policy beliefs, subscribed to the interpretation that Marcos declared martial law: as a strategy to enable Ferdinand Marcos to stay in power past the two Presidential terms allowed him under Philippine Constitution of 1935; and as a technique for covering up the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos, his family, and his cronies. In addition, some critics who ascribe an economic component to Marcos's motivations, suggesting that martial law: was an acquiescence to the global market system, which required tight control of sociopolitical systems so that the country's resources could be exploited efficiently; was a product of the infighting among the families that formed the upper socioeconomic class of Philippine society; and was a connivance between the state powers and the upper-class families to keep the members of the country's lower classes from becoming too powerful.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1081: 1081 Milestone — 1081 on September 21, 1972, marking the beginning of a fourteen-year period of one-man rule, which effectively lasted until Marcos was exiled from the country on February 25, 1986.
2. 1935: 1935 Milestone — Diokno, and Jovito Salonga) accused Marcos of exaggerating these threats and using them as an excuse to consolidate power and extend his tenure beyond the two presidential terms allowed by the 1935 constitution.
3. 1965: 1965 Milestone — While Marcos's presidency began in late 1965, this article is limited to the period in which he exercised dictatorial powers under martial law, and the period where he continued to wield those powers despite lifting the proclamation in 1981.
4. 1972: 1972 Milestone — on September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he had placed the Philippines under martial law, stating he had done so in response to the "communist threat" posed by the newly founded Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the sectarian "rebellion" of the Muslim Independence Movement (MIM).
5. 1986: 1986 Milestone — 2045, although Marcos retained essentially all of his powers as dictator until he was ousted in February 1986.
6. 1987: 1987 Milestone — In his 1987 treatise, Dictatorship & Martial Law: Philippine Authoritarianism in 1972, University of the Philippines public administration professor Alex Brillantes Jr.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos

True or False: “The declaration of martial law in 1972 was solely a necessary response to immediate, violent communist uprisings.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Critics argued that the declaration served as a strategic means for Marcos to consolidate power and extend his tenure beyond constitutional limits.

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