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The Marcos dictatorship and how Filipinos overcame it

COMMENT As it is oft said by the wise, and for good reasons, those who fail to learn history's lessons are doomed to rinse and repeat past tribulations. Though perhaps it is also true that if we were to study what came before, we can perhaps sidestep past mistakes, and prevent such future minefields.

As such, it is perhaps timely, considering our present circumstances, to learn the hard-fought lessons of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, from our Philippine neighbours, the Pinoys.

After all, it was they who had staunchly experienced, bravely faced, and ultimately deposed, the self-anointed late dictator. The first lesson we have to learn is perhaps how to spot such a thing when it occurs. When the once democratically elected is turned into a full-fledged dictatorship.

It did not come over in a day, but bit by bit, and step by step. As those in power slowly came to grasp, what was given in trust, as something that they believe they should have, and by guile, charm or force, unilaterally taken.

What came first is usually the misappropriation of wealth, both by rights of office or on matters of state, or shamelessly shoving it into their pockets. Or perhaps laundered via shell companies, and the lax financial governance of tax havens, mountainous republics and balmy tropical isles.

As for Marcos and his dear wife Imelda (photo), most of it supposedly ended up in the United States, where they later fled. Some of the stolen wealth have been seized, but others are still hidden. Snazzy shoes, glittering jewels, fancy artwork, shiny handbags and other expensive thrills.

Then, there would come the misuse of state powers, and the abuse of legislative rights and enforcement procedures. For those who are supposed to keep the nation safe are instead used to keep those in power in place.

The military and the police, turning from keepers of the peace to agents of the chiefs. And to maintain their stable of friends in high places, they place kith and kin in positions of wealth and power. Hoarding and lording as it were, knocking heads and breaking doors when it requires, making people tame, or causing them to disappear.

Next would be the muzzling of the free press, whether by friendly ownership or by the physical threats of jackbooted thugs. Cutting off electricity, severing phone lines, and stealing plates. Quite literally stopping the presses from putting ink to page.

Luckily it was for the Pinoys that the ‘mosquito press’ like The Malaya, never gave up in their duty to inform the masses, or their responsibility to hold power, in this case Marcos, to account.

Lastly, perhaps, is the hijacking of free elections, by means said to be foul, but claimed to be fair. As agents within and without work to ensure the powers that be keep their seats, if not by being actually voted for, then by keeping the votes tallied close to the their chest, and declaring their own win, whatever the case is.

Namfrel stood tall

Luckily again for the Pinoys, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) was kept standing tall. Protecting the ballots and boxes with their lives, even in the face of men with guns, and the compunction to aggressively use them. And when the results were lies, they stood by the count they made by hand.

Such are the signs that would come when a democracy is fast going downhill, and the lesson we should take from the Pinoys is how they came together to oppose it in the end.

As right-thinking free peoples, the mosquito press and electoral watchdog Namfrel joined hands to walk down the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue that fateful day, when Marcos was swept out of power after years of misusing and abusing the democratic trust that was initially assigned to him.

Along with the signs that we Malaysians have to look out for, just in case we have our own homegrown Ferdinand or Imelda, is perhaps the need to understand that, in addition to personal sacrifices, unity is key in the endgame.

But perhaps the last and final lesson is what happened to the Pinoys afterward, for despite the liberating victory of people power, they ended up with the same problems, just with a different regime in power. Instead of Marcos’ iron fist, they faced the yellow ribbon regime, and now a Punisher wannabe.

For despite what they did, the system remained the same. The actors are different but they ended up living the same story in another timeframe.

That is perhaps the greater of the lessons, to know that what we are fighting is not just to win the battle against one dictator, but to win the war against all future self-aggrandising dictators.

And for that, it is not only the dictator that needs to come down, but the very system that allowed him or her to rise, and may empower another to oppress us the same way.


HAZLAN ZAKARIA is a member of Team Malaysiakini.

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