The gall

CITIZEN Y
By Yoly Villanueva-Ong
The Philippine Star

VP Binay was well-advised to render a “Solomonic” judgment on the burial of Ferdinand Marcos. Well-advised for 2016. Not wishing to offend the Ilocanos, he did the next best thing. Recommend full military honors but nix burial in Libingan ng mga Bayani. Considering that he was with the First-Quarter-Storm that doggedly opposed the Marcos regime, political elasticity and plasticity is once again demonstrated. Calling P-Noy the ultimate arbiter, Binay can dodge blame and remain popular like past VPs. His masterful handling of contentious issues combined with experience and political cunning makes Binay an early, formidable contender indeed.

But this isn’t the only irony. Marcos’ entire life was all smoke and mirrors. Awarding someone whose military records are as dubious as his birth records underscores the Military’s confusion about honor. General Oban stated that Marcos qualified in the process for full military honors. Was this “process” influenced by the “pasalubong-and-pabaon-generals” of a tarnished Military? By those norms Marcos would stand out.

For those with amnesia, for the youth unfamiliar with the Marcos Regime, and Filipinos from the North who cling to the myth that the Ilocos Son was the “greatest president”, here’s the documentation of this dark era. These facts should be ingrained in the national psyche to thwart any attempt at rewriting history.

Ferdinand Marcos was born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, on September 11, 1917 to Josefa Edralin and Mariano Marcos. His real father was Ferdinand Chua, a wealthy, influential municipal judge whom Marcos called his “godfather”. Chua paid for his “godson’s” education where he excelled in academics and sports.

On September 20, 1935, at the victory party to celebrate Julio Nalundasan’s Congressional victory over Mariano Marcos, 18-year-old Ferdinand shot Nalundasan with a .22-caliber gun. He spent six months in jail where he wrote his own appeal as a senior law student, then took the bar exam passing with such high scores, he was accused of cheating. When the Supreme Court heard his appeal in 1940, the judge (allegedly influenced by Chua) dismissed the case.

By World War II, Marcos was touted as the greatest resistance leader and most decorated soldier. He made-up a “secret” resistance organization called Ang Mga Maharlika (“The Nobles”) in early 1943 and tried to get benefits for the group. US Army investigators concluded that the unit was fraudulent and the claims, false and “criminal.” Nonetheless Marcos’ heroic war exploits were published.

As NLuzon deputy to the US Army judge advocate general, Marcos filled minor civil service jobs with friends and relatives. His law practice consisted of filing claims, often false, for Filipino veterans seeking back pay. He also filed a $595,000 claim for himself, asserting that the US Army commandeered over 2,000 cattle from Mariano’s Mindanao ranch. Neither cattle nor ranch ever existed.

In 1949, Marcos ran for Congress under LP and won by a landslide. In one year, he was $1M richer from American tobacco subsidies, a cigarette smuggling operation, and “commissions” from Chinese businesses.

He married Imelda Romualdez in 1954 and became a Senator in 1959. As LP’s VP, Marcos managed Diosdado Macapagal’s presidential bid with an agreement that after one term, he would run. Macapagal reneged, so Marcos became NP’s standard-bearer in 1965, routing Macapagal.

He won a second term in 1969. By then radicalized students mounted frequent violent demonstrations, known as the First Quarter Storm. Militant grassroots organizations like Lapiang Manggagawa, Malayang Samahan ng Magsasaka and Kabataang Makabayan re-emerged. After a bomb exploded at an LP rally in Plaza Miranda, Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972.

Some initially welcomed it. Curfew lowered crime rate and the economy grew at first. Propagandists extolled the vision of “New Society”, copied from Suharto’s “New Order administration”. It urged the poor and the privileged to work for the common goals to achieve the liberation of the people through self-realization.

A new Constitution replaced the 1935 Constitution. It changed the presidential form of government to parliamentary so Marcos could remain beyond 1973.

Press freedom and other civil liberties were curtailed. Congress and Media were shut down. Militant activists and Oppositionists like Senators Benigno Aquino Jr., Jose Diokno and Jovito Salonga were imprisoned. They could either cooperate or leave. Public protest was outlawed and demonstrators were detained, tortured, and disappeared. Leftists fled to the countryside and multiplied.

Privately owned lands were seized and supposedly re-distributed to farmers. Marcos waged war against the oligarchy, and then created a new one in its place. He confiscated businesses and turned them over to family and friends. They were used as fronts to launder ill-gotten wealth. “Crony capitalism” was in full-bloom. For nine years, human rights violations and graft and corruption by the military was rampant. The armed forces had tripled to 230,000.

Finally, as a condition for Pope John Paul II’ s visit, Martial Law was lifted on January 17, 1981. Opposition called it a “face lift” since Marcos still kept power by controlling Batasan. The economy was bleeding while Ferdinand and Imelda amassed unprecedented wealth. Marcos’ health began to fail. By then the Filipinos have had enough. The US began to distance from the regime.

The assassination of Ninoy Aquino, on August 21, 1983, was the last straw. The murder enraged the citizens. To show he was still in control, Marcos called a “snap election” in early 1986. He ran against Ninoy’s widow, Cory. It was marred by violence and charges of fraud. When Marcos was declared winner, People Power forced the Marcoses to flee. A USAF jet flew them to Hawaii with 300 crates of prized possessions and more than P28M cash. His estimated wealth is at $5B-$10B. He died in 1989. Ferdinand Marcos ruled from 1965 to 1986. His political star rose and plunged with the murder.

Tyrants who run the country to the ground, torture and salvage thousands, and plunder the coffers can never be heroes. Honor is about character, not process. No matter how history is revised or how short the national memory is truth will prevail.

* * *

E-mail mailto:citizenyfeedback@gmail.com