THERE ARE those trying to distort history. Beware of these charlatans.
Today, exactly 48 years ago (Sept. 21, 1972), disgraced dictator Ferdinand Marcos placed the country under martial law, cementing his legacy of plunder, corruption and human rights violations. But there is so much misinformation and historical revisionism. The despot’s ass-lickers are hell-bent on erasing the stench of blood and the long list of their master’s atrocities.
This is a fact: the Marcos dictatorship violently suppressed political dissent, committed crimes against humanity and plundered the country’s resources. Under his authoritarian rule, human rights violations formed the apex of a pyramid of terror – 3,257 killed, 35,000 tortured, 70,000 incarcerated, 737 Filipinos “disappeared” from 1976 to 1983. Nearly four times those killed, tortured – 2,250 – or 77 percent of all victims were summarily executed or salvaged. Many were tortured, mutilated and dumped on roadsides for public display to create widespread fear. Marcos, his family and their apologists have never acknowledged these grave violations and have never apologized to the Filipino people.
The international community has long recognized the countless grave human rights violations and the crimes against humanity of the Marcos regime, especially after the initial victory bestowed upon almost 10,000 of the Martial Law victims through the compensation ruling of the United States District Court of Hawaii.
Marcos’ 20-year rule from 1966 to 1986 plunged the economy into a spiralling crisis weighed down by heavy foreign borrowings and profligate spending for the benefit of the Marcos family and cronies through what became notoriously known as “crony capitalism”. When Marcos assumed the presidency in 1966, the country’s foreign debt stood below $1 billion. By the time he was ousted from power in 1986, the economy had a standing foreign debt of $28 billion, trapping the country into a cycle of ever-growing debts. According to research think tank IBON Foundation, the foreign debts under Marcos alone will be shouldered by Filipino taxpayers until 2025.
The Marcos regime was also known for its widespread and systemic corruption and plunder of the national coffers. It is estimated that as much as 33 percent of the country’s total borrowings during his term were pocketed by Marcos and his cronies. The Presidential Commission on Good Government places Marcos’ ill-gotten wealth at between $5 billion to $10 billion. Former Ilonggo solicitor general Frank Chavez pegged at $13.4 billion the money deposited by Marcos and his family in various Swiss banks. The Marcoses still face numerous cases in court in relation to this amassed loot.
Marcos’ martial law’s victimized the Filipino people. And certainly, it failed to eradicate poverty and had instead worsened it while Imelda was busy collecting her expensive jewels and shoes.
