Road to Martial Law Redux: A Conclusion to the Series

Conferring the ‘hero’ status to a dictator who was clearly responsible for much of the country’s economic woes, corruption in government bureaucracy and perpetrator of human rights violations–it boggles the mind.

The Long Night Begins: Martial Law Announced on Live TV

September 23, 1972, Midnight. It began at night, as all crimes are done. That is, Philippine democracy died in the cover of darkness. As the entire country slept soundly, President Ferdinand Marcos had sent out the military to round up the media, the opposition statesmen, activist leaders, writers, artists, all of whom have expressed a…

Like a Thief in the Night: Martial Law Implemented

President Ferdinand Marcos, ever the paranoid leader, never revealed his plans for Martial Law to his close associates, except to a selected few, many of whom were within his inner circle of advisers.

The Turbulent ’60s and Marcos’ Ascent to Power

Much like the politics of today, the 1960s were full of scandal and betrayal. How did these bring about Ferdinand Marcos’ ascent to power?Our resident historian Kris Pasion narrates in this fourth part of our 15-part series ‘Road to Martial Law.’

Jovito Salonga: Pasigueño, Guerilla, Blast Survivor, Senate President

“The Nation’s Fiscalizer” was the title that the Philippines Free Press had given this rising vocal senator in 1968 who has voiced his opposition on the growing authoritarian ways of the Marcos administration in every step of the way. His oratory skills in the Senate floor was legendary. He was but among the several cacophony…

Agriculture: What Do the Presidentiables Have to Say?

If you ate today, thank a farmer. Food is crucial for survival, and yet, the agriculture sector remains the second poorest sector in the Philippines, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. We are dubbed as an agricultural country, blessed with water teeming with fish, thick forest for vegetation, and hectares of land that extend from…