We celebrate 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution every year to commemorate
our recovery of democracy from the Martial Law imposed by the late President
Marcos in the 21th day of September 1972. We often reminisce how our countrymen
gather together in EDSA to protest and to remove dictator from the office. Every
year local TV channels are airing a documentary programs that tells the success
of the what we so-called peaceful revolution. Almost 41 years ago today, the
spirit of democratic ideals and our love for democracy is still life a
wild-fire that burning our heart. They say it was a successful political
reformation and rehabilitation, but is it? Yes, the succeeding administration
changes all officials but it doesn’t last long. Today, same old names can be
seen our government and those who was rid during the Cory Administration successfully
back into action.
The 1986 EDSA PPR is not really a successful paradigm shift, but the
Martial Law is. When Marcos announced to the public the Proclamation No. 1081,
the whole Philippine Archipelago was under Martial Law. Few weeks later, the
new draft of the constitution that contains almost everything that the late president
wanted including the right to legislate for the duration of the emergency, that
emergency lasted long enough to become the New Society. The newly implemented
constitution was amended to enable the president to continue issuing
presidential decrees that intended to reform the Philippine Society. It was
known as the “Bagong Lipunan” movement that aimed to modernize the Philippines.
The Catholic Church and the US Government is silent during that time.
That was the church way of disclaiming any participation and association to its
members that joins in growing number of protesters. The US government seems to
be in favor to the Martial Law due to its silence.
It was during the Martial Law, series of major changes in our foreign
policies was implemented. Greater liberalization of foreign investments was
made and implemented that would let foreign investors to establish their
business inside the country easily. After the expiration of Laurel-Langley
agreement, the supreme court ordered the turn-over of American nationals own
lands to the Filipinos as part of the reforming the Philippine society.
In short, Martial Law was born in a society that was thought to be resistant
to authoritarianism. Martial Law made a great impact to us that strengthen our
love of democracy. We may be a victim of the abuses that have been done during
that what we called dark years of our country, but it serves as a bridge to
have a true meaning of paradigm shift, that was not really happened after EDSA
revolution, that was simply disregarded as we became paranoid to protect our
democracy.
We always think that authoritarianism was bad and abusive but we
forgetting the simple truth that democracy may not be felt by the majority of
the people living in poverty line as it in favors to the well-off citizens and
the few elites who ran the economy.
Martial Law is now part of history, as well as what we so-called
Peaceful Revolution” the 1986 People Power. Both have a great contribution to our history
but were the People Power really succeeds to get its primary goals in resetting
our Political System?
In one of its talk he says to the Pope "leave science to the scientists", in thinking that the church has gotten it wrong, in some cases, on science. Santorum told radio host Dom Giordano. “We probably are better off leaving science to the scientists, and focusing on what we’re really good at, which is theology and morality.” -ThinkProgress, 2015