MARTIAL LAW WAS DECLARED TO ADRESS COMMUNIST INSURGENCY

September 20, 2022 Community Billboard

As we approach September 21, we see the usual tirades of groups that resurrect claims of human rights violations during the martial law. In the Cordillera, groups have posted invitations for protests against the
declaration of the martial law 50 years ago. They never fail to come up with activities to highlight their allegations of torture and abuses during the said period in their annual commemoration of what they
claim was a horrific period in our history.

These groups whose members claim have suffered abuses during the martial law era can howl all they want. Nothing is wrong with that and no one is stopping them from doing such. However, this lamentation has gone exaggerated where their narratives have been maliciously imbibed by young activists. The latter even float allegations of them being victims of human rights abuses during a period where they are
not yet alive. This is absurd and it makes our youth unable to distinguish the truth from false narratives.

For the sake of everybody and the youth in particular, may I reiterate what many people who have witnessed the martial law have repeatedly explained Martial Law was declared by former President Ferdinand Marcos on September 21, 1972 mainly because of the need to address the growing problem of
communist insurgency. Has he not done that, we will all not be enjoying democracy now because it will be Jose Maria Sison, the founder of the designated terrorist organization Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), manipulating the affairs of the country.

Who would want to have a leader who was declared as terrorist by other countries? For 50 years, the
statements “Never Forget” and “Never Again to Martial Law” have painted this period in our history negatively. This time, may we all be able to throw that impression away and highlight the truth about the declaration of martial law, which is to protect the Filipinos from the terror and menace of the CPP-New
People’s Army (NPA), and this is what we ought not to forget.

Ma. Louisa Foligan