Duterte declares martial law—September 22, 2017

THAT’S the common headline of newspaper stories and news broadcasts on radio and on television, and of posts in the social media come the stipulated date. That is, if history proves consistent with itself.

There have been only two occasions in the Philippine past when martial law was imposed. One, of course, was the Marcos Martial Law declared in Proclamation 1081, September 22, 1972. This is the martial law people invariably recall whenever they talk of martial law in the Philippines. Little known is the fact that one more martial law was declared in the history of the country, and that was the martial law during the Japanese occupation.

Wartime Philippine President Dr. Jose P. Laurel, had been under pressure from Japanese Premier Hideki Tojo, since as early as the inauguration of the wartime Philippine Republic, to declare war against the United States and Great Britain. Dr. Laurel had successfully parried off that Japanese demand for more than a year. But came 1944 when the Allied forces bombed Davao as a signal of their return to the country, the President of attacks on the territory of the Philippines by the returning allies, President Laurel found no more reason to delay the proclamation of martial law. Two days after, he made a declaration that a state of war existed between the Philippines and the United States and Great Britain.

Actually it was a hallmark of President Laurel’s wisdom and statesmanship that even as he appeared to be acquiescing to the Japanese demand, he made sure to mandate that no Filipino would be conscripted in the Japanese army. collaboration in 1946, President Laurel argued that by declaring a state of war between the Philippines and the United States and Great Britain, but mandating that no Filipino would be conscripted in the Japanese army, he did not give the Japanese anything that they did not already have; in fact, he gave them nothing. Anyway this digression is made here in order to set the proper context for that other declaration of martial law in the country’s history.

How lovely history is. You turn its pages to know what happened in the past, only to discover that what happened then is happening today. What else, for instance, was Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere then but the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) now.

- plied to the Japanese concept of “eight crown cords, one roof” or “all the world under one roof” which in the hands of Japanese militarists became the fundamen war propaganda for the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Was it any different from the OBOR China is currently promoting? The idea in this current effort is ostensibly to achieve interconnectivity and cooperation between China and the rest of Eurasia, but since China is the main initiator – as Japan was in the Greater East Asia Co- Prosperity Sphere scheme – it certainly becomes the “one roof” under which the OBOR must fall. And as Japan occupied the Marianas and other islands in war is the current occupation by China of the Spratlys, the Scar- borough Shoal and other reefs in the South China (West Philippine) Sea prior to?

of reminding my classes that history does not just happen, history is made. And who else can make history but those in power to make - dong’s teaching that people, not things decide matters, the making of history included. Whether an act of self-abnegation, a political pretense, or simply a case of oversight, the great Chinese leader failed to mention that the Chinese people were doing the history of overthrowing imperialism in China at his bidding. and communism that was the main motive force of the Chinese people in making the history of the overthrow of imperialism was forever subsumed to what is believed now to be a calibrated capitalism. Proof that far from being makers of history, the people invariably end up instead victims of history.

The Filipino people are now in that category. Having high hopes of change, they elected Duterte atrocities. Grieving over the corpse of her brother slain on suspicion of illegal drugs pushing, a woman denied the suspicion, lamenting that the victim was a Duterte supporter and voted for the President.

call irony. You do something in order to avert a perceived disaster, only to discover to your dismay that what you did at the start is the very cause for such disaster to take place ultimately.

Look how everybody seems to the red banner of military rule.

- tary to the Cabinet Jun Evasco has embarked on organizing a third armed force, separate from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). What is this third armed force but for propping up a military regime, something which the present military leaders reportedly are not agreeable to. Considering further that these military leaders are prone to follow dictates from Washington, they should prove anathema to any Duterte plan of military dictatorship – unless America condones it.

America condoned it in Marcos for long fourteen years. Why won’t America condone it in Digong as well? Or condone it in his replacement, in such eventuality in any case. Marcos declared martial law to avert imminent communist takeover of the government. Now that perceived communists are in effective control of a sizeable portion of the government, might - body manageable and put her in Duterte is forced to deal his last card: martial law.

Toward this end, the works, so to speak, have begun. The organization of the third armed force cited above is one. Duterte’s frenzied wooing of enlisted men and junior another. And the decisive move is the reported inclusion of top generals in the touted President’s new list of protectors in government of and local executives.

So martial law, whether for or against him, is up to Duterte’s sole making?

The only question unanswered here is: When?

- tent with itself, Duterte’s declaration of martial law must come on the date Marcos did it in 1972 and Dr. Laurel did it in 1944 –September 22. TODAY.

Mark it.