Martial law is declared during times of crisis, unrest, or war when civilian authority is replaced by military control. In this video/article, we break down what martial law means, why governments impose it, historical examples, and its impact on civil rights and daily life.
00:01In 1972, the Philippines was placed under martial law by President Ferdinand Marcos.
00:08For nearly a decade, the country lived under military rule with curfews, censorship, arrests, and thousands of human rights abuses.
00:16Some believed it was a way to restore order, but for many it became one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history.
00:23This is the true story of martial law.
00:24In the late 1960s, the Philippines was facing a crisis.
00:29Widespread poverty, inflation, and corruption fueled unrest.
00:32Student groups, labor unions, and activists began protesting against the government.
00:37The Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army, also started to grow in influence.
00:44Meanwhile, crime and political violence were rising.
00:47Bombings and street clashes made headlines.
00:49Marcos, who was nearing the end of his constitutional second term as president, presented martial law as a solution to save the nation from chaos.
00:57On September 21st, 1972, Ferdinand Marcos signed Proclamation 1081, placing the entire country under martial law.
01:07Two days later, on September 23rd, he appeared on television to announce it to the Filipino people.
01:13Martial law changed daily life overnight.
01:15Curfews were imposed.
01:17Media outlets were shut down, with only pro-government stations allowed to operate.
01:21Newspapers and radio stations that criticized Marcos were silenced.
01:26Thousands of opposition leaders, journalists, and activists were arrested, some in the middle of the night without warrants.
01:32Senator Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr., one of Marcos' strongest critics, was among the first to be imprisoned.
01:38The military had wide powers.
01:41Anyone suspected of being subversive could be detained.
01:45Human rights organizations estimate that during martial law, over 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 tortured, and more than 3,000 killed.
01:55For ordinary Filipinos, fear became part of daily life.
01:58Families lived cautiously, afraid of soldiers knocking at their doors.
02:02Many disappeared without a trace, victims of what we now call desaparecidos.
02:08Despite the fear some Filipinos supported martial law, Marcos launched massive infrastructure projects, roads, bridges, hospitals, and cultural centers.
02:18Propaganda promoted the new society, claiming discipline and order had returned.
02:23But behind the glossy image, the economy was collapsing.
02:27Marcos and his allies borrowed heavily from foreign banks, leading to massive debt.
02:31Corruption flourished, with billions allegedly stolen by the Marcos family and cronies.
02:36By the early 1980s, unemployment and poverty worsened, exposing the cracks beneath the promise of progress.
02:43Despite strict control, resistance grew.
02:46Underground newspapers, called the Mosquito Press, bravely published stories the government tried to hide.
02:53Students, workers, and the church organized protests.
02:56International pressure mounted as reports of torture and killings reached global audiences.
03:01In 1981, Marcos officially lifted martial law, but repression and corruption continued, and public anger only grew stronger.
03:10The turning point came in 1983, when Ninoy Aquino was assassinated upon returning from exile.
03:16His death sparked outrage and ignited a wave of protests.
03:19By 1986, millions joined the People Power Revolution, a peaceful uprising that forced Marcos to flee the country and restored democracy.
03:29Today, martial law remains one of the most debated periods in Philippine history.
03:33Some remember it as a time of order and discipline, while many others recall the fear, abuses, and stolen freedoms.
03:40Survivors and historians remind us that remembering martial law is not about politics, it is about truth, justice, and ensuring that future generations never experience the same darkness.
03:51Martial law in the Philippines was more than a political strategy.
03:54It was a period that tested the strength of democracy, human rights, and the resilience of the Filipino people.
04:01As we look back, may we learn from history, because forgetting the past risks repeating it.
04:06This is why the stories of martial law must continue to be told.
04:10Never again, never forget.
04:11Never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again, never again
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