51 years ago, the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, placed the country under martial law. Marcos announced the imposition of martial law on September 23 1972 but the proclamation was backdated to September 21. He claimed that he had been forced to declare martial law due to the "communist threat" posed by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the rebellion by the Muslim Independence Movement (MIM). Opposition figures argued that Marcos was exaggerating the threat to consolidate his grip on power. According to Proclamation 1081, which declared martial law, there was a need to "save the republic" and "to reform society."

Marcos and his wife stole between $5 to $10 billion of the country's wealth during martial law. While poverty in the Philippines increased, the Marcos developed an extensive domestic and international property empire, including 50 mansions in the Philippines itself. According to one estimate, the couple accumulated up to $30 billion in unexplained wealth.

Amnesty International has claimed that at least 50,000 people were arrested and detained during the first three years of martial law. According to figures from The Human Rights Victims Claims Board (HRVCB), 11,103 people were victims of political repression, including 2,326 cases of killing or forced disappearance and almost 2,000 cases of torture.

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#FilipinoHistory #OustMarcos #PhilippinesPolitics