MARTIAL LAW

(1972-1981)
On September 23,1972,at 7:30 p.m., President Marcos appeard on nationwide radio and
television to formally announce that he had place the entire Philippines under Martial Law as of
9 p.m. of the previous day.

The implementation of Martial Law in the country was pursuant to proclamation No.1081,
which he had signed on September 21,1972.This Law was declared by the President.

TWO OBJECTIVES BY DECLARING MARTIAL LAW

1.) To save the republic

2.) To form a new society

CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS OF MARTAL LAW..Martial Law is an extraordinary measure

taken by the State to defend or protect itself from extrem dangers,such as
insurrection,rebellion,invasion,and lawless violence.The President of the Republic enjoys this
power in his capacity as commander-in-chief of all are armed forces.Such power is sanctioned
by Article VII,Section 10,Paragraph 2 of our 1935 constitution.

By this authority as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, President Marcos

assumed extraordinary powers, such as,
1.) The power to make laws for the land;

2.) The power to execute or enforce the laws;

3.) The power to order arrest, imprisonment, and punishment of hostile to his

Administration;

4.) The power to negotiate loans with foreign countries;

5.) The power to raise new taxes or increase the rate of old ones;

6.) The power to make the annual budget of the government;

 7.) The power to reorganize the government;

8.) The power to appoint and dismiss government officials and employees;

9.) The power to call elections and plebiscites;

10.) The power to take over properties, such as electric light companies,

telephone and telegraph films, and newspapers, radio and television

stations, and other facilities of mass media.

11.) The power to impose curfew and confiscate all firearms of the citizens;and

12.) The power to replace all civil authorities of the national and the local

Governments with military men.

On October 21, 1972 -A force of nearly 1,000 men attacked Marawi City Revolutionary
Council of Independence, led by a former police of Marawi City. After the incident, Nur Misuari
and his Bangsa Moro Army(BMA)likewise initiated armed struggle in Sulu, Cotabato, and
Zamboanga.

Humanized Martial Law. Usually, when Martial Law is proclaim the country is ruled by a
military junta. The constitution is suspended, and all civil officials, including cabinet members,
judges of the supreme court and inferior courts, members of the national legislature, and local
officials are dismiss. In other words, the country is placed completely under military rule.

The Martial Law established by President Marcos is a humanized type of Martial Law. There is
no military take-over. As a matter of fact, the civil authority is still supreme over the military.
The civil government continues to function. The President of the Republic simply governs our
nation, with the help of the military men. As President Marcos said:The republic of the
Philippines which was established by our people in 1946 continues. The officials and employees
of our national local governments continue in office and must discharge their duties as before
within their limits of the situation.His General Order No. 3, issued on September 24, 1972,
declares: all executive departments, bureaus offices, agencies and instrumentalities of
the national Government, government-owned or controlled corporations, as well
as the governments of the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barrios through
the land continue to function under their present officers and employees.
Formation of the New Society. Aside from saving our republic, President Marcos aimed to
form a new society.

-A society which is disciplined, self sufficient, orderly, peaceful, and self reliant. With the keen
inside of a true leader, He realized that Martial Law is not enough.

As a study of revolutions and ideology proves, he wrote in his book Notes on the New Society
of the Philippines, martial law could not, in the long run, secure the Philippine Republic unless
the social iniquities and old habits which precipitated the martial necessity were stamped
out.For Martial Law of to be of lasting benefit to the nation, according to him, there must be
great reforms in all spheres of national life.save the republic,he commented, yes, but to
keep it safe, we have to start the making of society.

The reform is conceived for the building of our New Society covered seven major areas,
collectively known by the acronym Pledges, as follows:

P-Peace and Order

L-Land Reform

E-Economic Development

D-Development of Moral Values

G-Government Reform

E-Educational Reform

S- Social Service
To ensure the success of PLEDGES, President Marcos created special action groups, popularly
known as Do Tanks. This Do Tanks are government officials called PRODs (Presidential
Regional Officers for Development). In November, 1972, President Marcos named the 11
PRODs, One for each of the 11 geographical regions of the Philippines.

Peace and Order. One of the spectacular achievements of President Marcos under Martial
Law is the improvement of peace and order in our country. One major of