The Facebook page “BBM Is My President 2022” shared a 50-second TikTok video last February 13 which featured a portion of an interview of former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. In the said clip, the former senator – who also served as the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ defense minister, insisted that Martial Law was declared to stave off the growing influence of the then-nascent Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Enrile went on to explain that if Marcos did not declare Martial Law, CPP founding chair Jose Maria Sison would have “reigned” in the country.
CLAIM:
Former Sen. Enrile claims that Martial Law’s “biggest legacy” was to save the Philippines from being a “communist nation.”
RATING:
FALSE
FACTS:
According to the paper, “Martial Law in the Philippines: The Methods of Regime Survival,” when Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in September 1972, the nascent CPP and the newly-formed New People’s Army (NPA) were still very weak. Academics have pointed out that while Marcos claimed that Martial Law was aimed at quelling the communist rebellion, the move was a tactic that the late dictator employed to extend his term. In 1972, Marcos was already halfway through his second – and at that time constitutionally final – four-year term.
Instead of quelling the communist rebellion, the NPA even grew its forces from 60 members in the 1970s to 25,000 when Martial Law was lifted. Many critics and academics have pointed out that the worsening socioeconomic conditions, coupled with a brash disregard for human rights during the Martial Law era, contributed not to the weakening, but rather, the rapid expansion of the NPA during those years. This development even earned the late dictator the moniker “NPA’s best recruiter.”
WHY THIS MATTERS:
The claim was made by the chief implementor of Martial Law, who himself admitted that he staged his own “ambush” to blame the NPA, and serve as a pretext for the Martial Law declaration. The Facebook page “BBM Is My President 2022” is using this video to assert that Martial Law was necessary and justified at that time, conveniently omitting the fact that its implementation led to widescale human rights abuses. As of writing, the short video already gathered 1,900 views and 224 reactions. – Maez Estrada and Joseph Gloria
Altermidya Network is part of #FactsFirstPH which brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies. For those interested to join the initiative, email info@factsfirst.ph.
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