Marcos abused Martial Law in the Philippines, period.

Let's be clear--martial law per se as stated in our 1987 Constitution, is not bad. It is the inherent right of the state to defend itself against those who seek its destruction. There are occasions when the government requires to place a segment of its territory under military rule. 

What many people, this writer included, oppose is the abuse of this power by the very one who is supposed to implement it by the letter, and that is, based on his acts during his time, former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos. 

During his time, there was only a definitive period by which the law allowed the President to use martial law powers. Instead of a few months, Marcos extended martial law for years, using Congress and the Supreme Court at his side.

Marcos truly abused this power granted to him by the people thru the Constitution. Worse, Marcos not only abused it invoking the name of the Filipino People-- he did so out of his personal interests.

Records bear me out of this. The Presidential Commission on Good Government or PCGG as well as courts in the United States unearthed thousands of pieces of evidence showing how Marcos and his associates systematically raided public coffers, illegally acquired properties from legitimate businesses, and literally dominated the affairs of the state.

Marcos used the military as his tool also in oppressing the political opposition as well as those who militated and armed themselves against the government. He and his military supporting crew tolerated the use of torture and other means in an attempt to decimate the ranks of dissenters.

As a subterfuge, Marcos allowed the continuation of infrastructure projects to paint a picture of stability in urban centres while the countrysides burn with evident insurgent-lit fires.

Marcos and his associates controlled the markets, raked in billions in profits and used those monies to literally create his own set of oligarchs simply based on a definitive plan of dominating politics and business throughout his and his wife's lifetime.

Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile cannot deny this historical fact and I think Mr. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr would not deny also.

BY not admitting this very simple observation of abuse of powers, Mr. Enrile and Mr. Marcos connived to further promote historical revisionism, a grievous sin which afflicts the guilty.

YET, the sins of these gentlemen pale in comparison with those who actually knew the truth, exposed it and sacrificed their lives to fight and eventually topple Mr. Marcos ONLY to replicate Mr. Marcos' acts while in government.

Worse, these people indulged in salacious service to the Filipino People by projecting immaculate reputations before the public while dipping their hands upon the hard earned monies of the Filipino People.

What is evident in our history is the replication of Mr. Marcos into hundreds of mini-mes not just in government but in the private sector.

The abuse of power continues on until now made worse by the use of the law by the very same people who opposed Marcos before, and now committing the very sins that they accused Marcos of.

The worst part of this is the realisation that these mini-mes of Marcos actually pale in comparison with Marcos in terms of intellectual and in some aspects, even moral qualifications. At least Marcos had the gall to justify his acts thru legal orders, however, mean and illegal it is to the minds of those affected by these orders. There was at least some semblance of legal cloaking so to speak which Marcos used to justify his thievery and abuse of power.

Now, these Marcos mini-mes occupy the rungs of power and use their positions to burden the People with high prices of goods and services, of profiting from oil prices and other despicable acts without the benefit of any legal justification. These people abuse power in the barest and most naked way possible, and this remains a very huge problem for this country.

The institutionalisation of corruption, the systematic gangsterism in the bureaucracy and the wanton exercise of commercialisation are making the lives of million miserable in these lands.