MARTIAL LAW AMNESIA? NOT!

This article is a response to a Philippine Star Opinion Piece Written by Crispin C. Maslog dated April 12, 2016.

An opinion piece recently appeared in the Philippine Star entitled Martial Law Amnesia written by Crispin C. Maslog.  This is a cut and dried piece basically explaining how the Marcoses abused their power during Martial Law and because of this, we should not elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., as Vice President. The article begins with an explanation as to how the Millennial generation is not to blame for “Martial law amnesia”.  Maslog explains that this is because their generation “did not teach history properly”, and then he proceeds to talk about how President Marcos wanted to increase his term, suspended the constitution and declared martial law and how everything went downhill after that et cetera, et cetera.

I am a Millennial and forgive me Mr. Maslog, but this sounds eerily like what we have been indoctrinated in in school.  This is the same history and the same discourse that is being taught to the kids today.  I will give Mr. Maslog credit though, he has come to terms with the fact that it is not the Millennial’s fault for the historical revisionism and glamorization of the Martial Law period, but this is not for want of being told stories of the “horrors” of Martial Law rule.  I’ll put it to you plainly, this is a reaction to the failures of Maslog’s generation.

Filipino Millennials

(source: Philippine Star)

Let me be blunt about this, everything that the Martial Law generation did after 1986 makes me want to puke.  What we are seeing today is a reaction to the incompetence and failure of the Martial Law generation to create a better and more prosperous Philippines after the dictator was toppled.  Newsflash! The Millennial generation has come of age.  No longer do we look up to the previous generation who, after 30 years, represents nothing but stagnation and incompetence to us.  My generation knows that what we want is a leader who has genuinely created in us a sense of hope for the future—a leader who, to us represents a future that does not involve having to choose “lesser evils”, a country that is united to achieving status and prestige. 

-o0o-

These times remind me of 2010.  There was a man, then running for President, his name was Gilbert Teodoro.  Of all the candidates then, it was only he who could give us a vision of the Philippines “taking off”.  His vision of the Philippines then was one where the Philippines had a credible military, a booming economy and self-sufficiency.  A lot of the youth could relate with this and it is not surprising that in college polls, Teodoro always came out on top.  My generation wanted this man in office.  Instead, the Martial Law generation disappointed and further disillusioned us when, riding on a wave of sympathy and nostalgia of the Cory years, voted her son into office knowing full well that he was not prepared for such a position.

He was popular with the youth, it’s just too bad that many were too young to vote in 2010

(source: www.yodisphere.com)

Times have changed though, in 2010, a lot of Millennials were still under 18 years old.  Many were in college or were fresh graduates—we didn’t have a say at all.  Now, the Millennials are all above 18 years old, many are independent and holding positions in middle to upper management, many are married and have children.  The Millennials are becoming increasingly aware of the political and persuasive power they hold and are more than willing to think for themselves.  On the other hand, the Martial law generation has aged, many have died, others have lost parental authority over the Millennials.  Yes, that generation has failed and disappointed us Millennials.  We all know what happened after—six wasted years.

The Millennials are becoming increasingly aware of the political and persuasive power they hold and are more than willing to think for themselves. 

The article ends stating:

The history of this economic plunder is one of the blind spots in the minds of the Filipino millennials today.  It worries me and my generation no end, that the son of Ferdinand Marcos is running for vice president of the land, and be just a heartbeat away from the presidency. If that happens, philosopher George Santayana may again be proven right when he said long ago that a people who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat it.

My generation knows this.  Our history of economic plunder continues.  It continues today with the mismanagement and cronyism of the current administration.  With all due respect to Mr. Maslog, my generation lives through this, every day when we ride the decrepit trains, pay for overpriced electricity and telecom, line up for hours at government offices, see news of starving farmers and yet another massacre, whenever we see incursions in our territory and how powerless our military is to stop it.  Make no mistake, we are repeating history, it just looks like the role of villain and hero has been reversed.