1 joke and 2 arguments on martial law

“I will go to jail for you. If you rape three women, I will say that I did it. But if you marry four, you will be beaten up”

--President Duterte to Army troops, May 26, 2017

Disregard President Duterte’s rape joke in his pep talk to soldiers last Friday, following the May 23 declaration of martial law in Mindanao. Just one of his jokes, a Palace spokesman quickly explained.

It was intended for the troops’ ears only although he must know that whatever he’d say would reach the rest of the world. Big media outlets picked it up: CNN, BBC, Washington Post, New York Times.

Apparently, he didn’t learn from or wouldn’t mind the flak. During the campaign, he was slammed for a rape joke when he said he “should’ve been the first” in a gang rape of a woman missionary who was abducted, raped and killed in the eighties.

Message to soldiers

The rape joke aside, what about the rest of of his morale boosting to the army? He gave the message that the soldiers could do anything under martial law: “You can arrest any person, search any home. I would be responsible for anything you’d do...” Plus the license to rape up to three women.

Coming from their commander-in-chief, it would supersede whatever order from their officers on the ground not to abuse military rule. And contradicted the caution against excesses that his information office earlier issued.

‘Similar’ to Marcos’s

Which blows out of the water the argument of the Armed Forces, through its spokesman, that those who criticize martial law are “living in the past.”

Duterte didn’t tell the troops this martial law is different from Marcos’s 1972 martial law. On the contrary, he said later that his martial law would be similar to Marcos’s because of its “nine good years.” He didn’t tell them not to violate rights and do injustice. Military rule being vulnerable to abuse, the troops needed to be warned by the president that they shouldn’t repeat the atrocities of the first martial law.

But then his would be a replica of Marcos’s or was that a joke too?

People who are wary and scared are those who experienced the horror or knew the lesson of martial law from families, friends and accounts from reliable books and periodicals.

Innocent victims

Then there’s that other misleading argument that only those who are rebels and criminals dread martial law. If that were true then and now, there should be no worry from law-abiding citizens. But you, I, we and the historians know it is not so. Martial law and its power corrupt those who implement it.

Check out the list of victims during the 1972 martial law. Were they all rebels and criminals? How many innocent people were jailed, tortured or eliminated along with the suspected felons?

Raising the alarm, cautioning about possible injustices, worrying over loss of liberties and disruption in our economic and social lives: they’re not criticism but reminder of what to avoid.

And yes, we survive gross rape jokes but deceptive arguments inflict more damage.