Philippine Martial Law: The Man Behind the Antagonism

The martial law and the people power revolution went past my early childhood memories. I don’t know much about it except for what I’ve read, and heard of different other people’s opinion on the 1973 change of political system in the country.

But one of most popular association I know to the martial law is the man who considerably stood in the opposition’s corner against the Marcos regime-- Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino.  Whose death catapulted the nationalism of the hundreds of perturbed Filipinos; Ninoy has placed himself a rank in the list of the most controversial political football in the Philippine history.

Aside from being appointed by the late president Ramon Magsaysay to act as personal emissary to Luis Taruc, leader of the Hukbalahap (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon) rebel group and the credit he gathered from Taruc’s unconditional surrender; this and some of the other things he acted for the country, Ninoy was another Filipino set to be penalized by a firing squad under the military tribunal which Marcos created in the late '70s.

Even when the said firing squad failed to materialize, Ninoy is like any everyday man whom God has allowed suffering to happen unto for a purpose.

Philippine Military amid Hostile Attempts in Spratlys

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines - The Spratlys has made a very considerable acquisition for both the Philippine and the Chinese government along with other adjacent countries that claim the same ownership to it.

BRP Raja Humabon l Image taken from newsinfo.inquirer.net

Apart from the assertions and counterclaims of the People’s Republic of China, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and the Republic of the Philippines; one of the only things that serve as a common denominator is that the Spratlys’ locality stands almost equidistant at the South China Sea. But this has disparagingly created more confusion and disputes among Asian countries.

The island is said to occupy more or less than five square kilometers and spread over more than 400,000 to 425,000 kilometers of sea. Several accounts say that the island also contains more than a thousand of small islands, rocks, and reefs-- substantial in natural resources.

No Spratly natives can be seen around its enclosures but it is affirmed to have abundant fishing grounds and significant oil and natural gas. All these and more ratify as to why the island has spontaneously brought itself a guaranteed proximity to controversies.