It has been 44 years since Ferdinand Marcos signed Presidential Decree 1081, which effectively put the Philippines under Martial Law. Today, that notorious historical moment and the two decades of undemocratic rule that ensued have become questionable facts in the imaginations of many, if not most Filipino students.
To correct our amnesia, a well-regarded historian unearthed primary-source evidence from US President Ronalds Reagan’s journals. Here’s the most telling excerpt from its February 22-23, 1986, entry:
I approved a letter from me to Marcos begging him not to resort to force. His Defense minister [Juan Ponce Enrile] & acting chief of the Army [Fidel V. Ramos] have resigned and taken some troops with them. At one point Marcos ordered troops & tanks to go to where the rebels were based but 100’s of 1000’s of civilians blocked them & the tanks turned back. (quoted here)
This entry confirms that the Marcos leadership of 1986 had become so onerous that thousands of Filipino civilians were willing to risk personal safety to end his rule.
It is also telling that President Marcos had “officially” ended Martial Law five years before, in January 1981, a month prior to Pope John Paul II’s first visit to Manila.
Only a few remember that the official act ever happened, suggesting that history still interprets this move as an unsatisfying, albeit public, attempt to cleanse the presidential conscience. Nevertheless, the fact that the record exists tells us that something in Marcos’ conscience knew that his Martial Law ran contrary to the faith he professed.
Diplomatic but firm
Since we celebrate St. Pope John Paul II’s feast today, it may be worth revisiting his diplomatic yet firm words to President Marcos after landing in Manila in February 1981. In that speech, news of which made the front page of the New York Times, Pope John Paul made several references to what could improve in the way President Marcos governed.
The most striking instance is this paragraph, in which he stresses that whenever a rivalry might exist between national security and human rights, human dignity should always be the priority, because society should serve the human person, and never the other way around (emphasis mine):
Even in exceptional situations that may at times arise, one can never justify any violation of the fundamental dignity of the human person or the basic rights that safeguard this dignity. Legitimate concern for the security of a nation, as demanded by the common good, could lead to the temptation of subjugating to the State the human being and his or her dignity and rights.
Any apparent conflict between the exigencies of security and of the citizens' basic rights must be resolved according to the fundamental principle—upheld always by the Church—that social organization exists only fοr the service of man and for the protection of his dignity, and that it cannot claim to serve the common good when human rights are not safeguarded.
Another noteworthy moment of veiled critique is the closing section of the Pope’s speech, when he hesitates to compliment the president. There, he expresses the Church’s esteem for leaders who serve the common good. His careful phrasing implied that not all government officials in his audience were worthy of this esteem.
The presence of so many representatives of the constituted bodies of national and local government, of the judiciary and the military honors me greatly, and I wish to express to them the great esteem in which the Church holds those that are invested with responsibility for the common good and the service of their fellowmen.
His respectful reticence is a testament to the many years he spent walking the fine line of being faithful to the Church and his conscience, while navigating the complex relationships between the Church and State in Cold War Poland.
An appeal to ordinary Filipinos
The richest section of his remarks, however, was not for the president. Instead, they were addressed towards ordinary Filipinos, and in particular, Filipino families.
In these paragraphs, he showed profound understanding and appreciation for the rich human and cultural values of Filipinos:
The Filipino people will always draw the strength and inspiration that they need to carry out this task from their noble heritage—a heritage not only of Christian faith but also of the rich human and cultural values that are their own. Every man and woman, whatever his or her status or role, must strive in all earnestness to preserve, to deepen and to consolidate these values—these priceless gifts—against the many factors which seriously threaten them today …
Preserve, through your lucid and deliberate efforts, your sense of the divine, your prayerfulness and your deeply religious consciousness. Preserve and reinforce your respect for the role of women in the home, in education and in other challenges of life in society. Keep and strengthen your reverence for the aged, the disabled and the sick. Above all maintain your great esteem for the family.
A nation goes the way that the family goes ...
He was insistent that the key to mending whatever tears there were in the social fabric of the nation was promoting the integrity and Christian flourishing of families. His now famous and often-quoted "a nation goes the way that the family goes" was delivered to Filipinos on this visit:
A nation goes the way that the family goes, and when the integrity and stability of family life is imperiled, so will be the stability of the nation and the tasks it must assume before the judgment of history.
Continuing significance
For Filipino Catholics today who revisit that brave moment, it continues to hold significance. We no longer live under a dictatorship, but many of its shackles remain, although in different clothes.
In this brief address, St. John Paul the Great offers a map to find the best solutions.
The solutions might not be the easiest to put into practice, but if we do as he recommended and steer our nation by steering our families toward goodness and service, imagine the lively wave of hope our faithful courage might unleash.
