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On This Day: September 21

Rafael Almoro
Sep 21, 2020
1 min read

Exactly 48 years ago today, President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law all over the Philippine archipelago through Proclamation No. 1081. Through this declaration, Marcos gained absolute power by suspending the writ of habeas corpus, the 1935 Constitution, and dissolving the Congress by padlocking the doors to the Batasang Pambansa. Within hours of its implementation, Marcos abruptly ordered the arrest and abduction of his political enemies and critics. Martial Law also called for the closure of major media and retail establishments, notably the shutdown of mass media giant, ABS-CBN. On top of such, many consider the era as one of the lowest points in Philippine history with regards to human rights, for many journalists and administration critics were tortured and killed. Although the EDSA people power revolution in 1986 ended the Marcos dictatorship, Filipinos will never forget the events that transpired and lives that were shattered following the events of September 21, 1972.