The Two Faces of Martial Law (Part 2)

After the imposition and revocation of martial law in Maguindanao Province, the Filipino people have came to realize that an iron hand does not always have a brute image but also one that meant to restore the damages what the brute image had done.

In our memory lies both the good and bad moments of our existence. More often we prefer to reminish only the good times and put the bad times into oblivion for these only bring nothing but heartaches and nightmares. The Marcos era and martial law is one of them.

I was only a small lad when martial took effect during the 70's. Eventually, as I grew older I came accross with those books written by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos justifying his actions as the president in placing the entire country under the rule of the military law. "An Ideology for the Filipinos" and "A Revolution from the Center" are the books he wrote, among others.

Most Filipinos see martial law on its brutal side only, especially those victims of its Machiavellian rule and its warrantless arrest or the suspension of the priviledge of the writ of habeas corpus, but they failed to see its other side. Perhaps the contention is based on experience. But there are more who treat martial law era as crime-free era, not because all the news were screened by the government but because only few criminals have the nerves to challenge the might of the law. Some victims might really be innocent and deserves justice but there are more of them who deserved their fate more than anybody else, as one author said, "sometimes we need to sacrifice some few for the greater good", that means sometimes "the end justifies the means".

What limits our contention is the very obvious reason that we are bound by laws made by man himself. We failed to realize that there are more better versions of the laws inscribed in our judicial journals, and there are more ways to circumvent them. Otherwise, these are perfect laws and must be observed without conditions and or hesitations. The Constitution is not an exemption.

When President Arroyo imposed martial in Maguindanao Province she believed nothing is violated, and in that crucial decision she made only time will tell she was right. So far, no violation of human rights was observed nor any complaint was served, and no expansion of its scope as pre-concluded by those who blatantly opposed it.

Perhaps we should treat martial law not on what it is but on who will impose it, in the right place at the right time.