History : 40 years ago...the First Day of Martial Law

This post is dedicated to all the victims of Martial Law,

                                               who never lived to tell their stories.

Many Filipinos had lived their growing-up years during the 20-year period of Martial Law. But some were not old enough to remember  any experience during the first day or week of Martial Law. I vividly remember one experience. 

I'm not sure if it was on the day Martial Law was declared or the days that followed, when this incident happened. But I vividly remember it was way past midnight when soldiers came knocking to our house and woke up our  household. They  went to every room in the house rousing people up. They roused me up and didn't care that I was just a kid. I wasn't spared from their routine check. I didn't know why they were there or what they were looking for then, I was too young to care or know. They didn't take anybody or anything from us. But those soldiers left something in our house and  the neighborhood. . . Fear.

Most of us lived through Martial Law with the curfews, checkpoints and all, but our experiences don't compare to the experiences of the "victims" of Martial Law. We know what happened to them. Some lived to tell their stories, some died and some just disappeared never to be found. 

Today is the anniversary of Martial Law, it is a day that is better forgotten, but we can not. We will always remember, and should always remember, because those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. We hope and pray it will not be repeated again. Never again!

Note : Martial Law (Proclamation 1081) was signed by then  President Ferdinand Marcos on September 21, 1972  but the actual announcement and declaration of the imposition of Martial Law was done on September 23. The "ambush" of then Secretary of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile on September 22, was said to have precipitated the declaration the following day.

Picture Source :
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/172811/news/specialreports/martial-law-activists-now-ready-to-tell-own-stories
Related Link :
http://opinion.inquirer.net/37144/92272
http://opinion.inquirer.net/37148/martial-law-through-the-eyes-of-ferdinand-marcos