Martial Law – The GMArtial Law

The declaration of Martial Law in Maguindanao was met with opposition. People went to the streets to rally against what they call as GMA’s clever way to keep the power in her hands.  Senators questioned if the declaration was constitutionally correct.

I am not an expert on the Constitution of the Philippines nor am I in any position to say that the declaration was constitutionally correct or not.  Sadly, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about my Poli Sci course in college.  Plus, the semester is too short to discuss everything about the constitution.  We never really reached the part about Martial Law.  

People say it was constitutional, others say it wasn’t. Constitutional or not, I greatly believe Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did the right thing. The brutal massacre of those women and media men by the Ampatuans was a good basis to declare Martial Law for me.  In fact, she should declare Martial Law on the whole of Mindanao. The place is just too dangerous.

What is Martial Law? 

Martial Law is the temporary substitution of military authority for civil rule, usually in the time of war, rebellion or natural disaster.    It really is not a law but rather it is merely the substitution of military procedures for the usual procedures of the law and courts.  The law provides the president with this power to protect us from rebellion and invasion or when public safety calls for it.  

Why do we fear it?

We Filipinos are just too afraid of Martial Law. It shouldn’t be that way.  It is a way for the president to defend us.  Well, I couldn’t blame us. Though I wasn’t born at the time when Marcos declared Martial Law, I very much know how he used it to control the people and the country.   Our grandparents told us about the horrors of Martial Law a la Ferdinand Marcos.   Our history books even have a chapter solely dedicated to it.  In fact, up to now, most of the people subjected to those horrors still couldn’t forget about it.  

After days of arguments and calls to lift the declaration, Martial Law was finally lifted–effective 9 PM today. I don’t think the president gave in to their noise. She lifted it because she felt Maguindanao was safer–for now. Though I believe Maguindanao or Mindanao in general will never be safe–only, if the terrorists there are quelled. 

There really is nothing to fear about Martial Law. It’s for our own safety. I believe it is time for us to move on.  We will never forget about the horrors of the Marcos Regime but I am confident to say that it will never happen again.  

Where’s the countrywide Martial Law?  I trust the president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won’t declare Martial Law unless it’s a matter of national security.  Arroyo using such declaration to maintain the power in her hands was just a big lie that her detractors spread.   Don’t they ever give up?

Sana Ngayong Pasko

I don’t know why the GMA network chose to include the events of Ondoy in their new soap opera’s storyline. I find this action of theirs very insensitive. The new show, titled Sana Ngayong Pasko (lit. Hopefully This Christmas), is the network's Christmas special offering—I doubt the show would bring Christmas joy.  The miniseries seems to be capitalizing on the recent disasters. Are they mocking the victims of Ondoy and Pepeng?

Just recently, many were killed and left homeless by the typhoons Ketsana and Parma. The last count I remembered there were; 648 killed, 85 missing and 7 million people affected.

I shout foul to the depiction of a typhoon and flood in the storyline. I can’t imagine what the writers were thinking when they were writing this story. I can’t imagine the more what the network executives were thinking when they approved this.  

When we write stories or create a show we always think about who will read or watch it—we think of our audience. GMA Network should have been prudent about how the people are to view their new show. People view things differently.  

In Japan, an episode of the Pokémon TV series was not aired for involving an earthquake. The episode, ‘Battle of the Quaking Island! Barboach VS Whiscash!!,’ was originally set to air in Japan on November 4, 2004, but was skipped due to the episode's similarities to the Chūetsu earthquake on October 23, 2004. To think it was a cartoon series. 

The Japanese people didn’t want to subject their audience to further suffering.  When something went bad we try our best to forget about it. And, it is really hard when it keeps playing back in our minds.  How much more when we see it on television?

I just wish GMA would have seen it as I saw it. We will never forget about these disasters—no one will. It will always be remembered, especially by those who are directly affected by the typhoons. These people are trying to rebuild their lives. The GMA network should have been more considerate.