An Overview of the Philippines

Abstract

On 23 September 19 72 President Marcos invoked martial law under country's Constitution meet what he termed the threat of a violent overthrow of our Republic and to reform social, economic and political institutions in our country. Simultaneously there was an almost total clampdown on press, television and radio stations, and mass arrest of prominent citizens, among them opposition politicians and publishers. The declaration of martial law was quickly followed by a number of vigorous measures aimed at controlling possession of weapons and weeding out corrupt and incompetent within government service, and bringing certain basic industries and communications under state control. It is noteworthy that although communist threat was justification for martial law initial measures of martial law rule could also be seen as having been aimed at breaking power of oligarchy such as arms' ban, detention of political opponents, appropriation of private property, seizure of newspapers and initial ban on foreign travel.