Love Amidst Injustices: Unbuckling the Shackles

Nazylen Mabanglo

September 23, 2023

Layout by Andrea Apit/Overturn

“Love is not losing freedom, it is sharing freedom with one another”

The beginning of the nightmare

It all started when the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. issued Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, declaring the enactment of martial law in the Philippines.

The sudden proclamation of the said law brought fear and danger to its constituents, as evidenced by the fact that it will be the starting point of severe abuse of power and prejudice for those who oppose the government.

Former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s regime was claimed to minimize criminal activity in urban areas, seize illegal firearms, improve Filipinos’ quality of life, and combat communist rebellion. However, under the same era, multiple counts of violations of human rights and deprivation of liberty to express, especially for the press, were recorded.

Censoring the confession of truth

Based on Amnesty International’s data, nearly 70,000 individuals were imprisoned, 34,000 endured torture, and over 3,200 died throughout those nine years following Marcos' proclamation of martial law.

Among the list of people who were detained was Mr. Santiago Matela, who suffered from torture for a period of three months, which includes being strapped naked over a solid piece of ice, while the people torturing him were allegedly forcing him to spill lies to the public that Matela himself was a communist.

The injustices were followed by the forced shut down of different media outlets, such as 66 community newspapers, 11 English weekly magazines, and 292 radio stations all around the country.

An event that resulted in more chaotic governance and people in shackles eager to escape.

Love in the dark is freeing

With all the cases of killings and imprisonment for those who opposed settling on the harsh conditions of the country, particularly during martial law, the growth of fear and hardships prevailed for the majority of Filipinos.

Alexander Orcullo, a dedicated critic of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship, remained firm in his profession amidst the threat to his life and safety; to deliver factual information to the masses, especially to his compatriot, and make the officials accountable.

He served the country not just as a Filipino journalist but also a community leader and activist, notable for voicing out his distaste for the inhumane practices of Marcos' regime and for representing an important figure in Mindanao's anti-Marcos rally wave.

For instance, he had a choice to keep a blind eye and let other people suffer as he already established a good reputation and a stable lifestyle; hence, he continues to be the voice of those oppressed Filipinos who could not speak for themselves.

Orcullo’s dedication to awaken Filipinos and the administration carried on as he also became the editor of Mindanao Currents, and an article writer at San Pedro Express.

However, his unconditional love and dedication to unveil the truth behind the facade of success during Marcos Sr.'s administration led him to his death, as he was shot thirteen times from behind on the night of his 38th birthday.

It is a tragic ending, yet it became a meaningful situation that supplied the abstraction of love that may come in different forms. In the case of Orcullo, the love for the country and the people will remain unfazed even in face of a critical societal monster—late Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

In the recent time

Orcullo's story of bravery to uphold the truth amidst intimidation is a lifetime reference that Filipinos will bring themselves to always look back especially in the current political status of the Philippines where the son of the exact dictator known as the spearhead of the tragic martial law was set to be the 17th president of the nation.

Loving thy country, and fighting for it, should not put anyone in danger. Human Resources Foundation encourages the government to put an end to red-tagging individuals who are human rights defenders, activists, and media professionals and not referring to them as "terrorists."

As the saying goes by "the dead cannot cry out for justice, it is the duty of the living to do so for them," no one should forget until truth and justice prevails.—OVERTURN