An interesting range of opinions about Imelda Marcos ! Now 82, she’s best known outside the Philippines for her shoe collection, but – if nothing else – she’s a survivor. Having held various political positions during her husband’s time in power, she was elected two years ago as a Member of the House of Representatives for Ilocos Norte.
For the record, Martial law has been declared three times in the Philippines :
• President Jose Laurel of the Second Philippine Republic ( “ puppet government “ under Japan) placed the country under martial law in 1944.
• It was under martial law again from 1972 - 1981 under President Marcos. This was declared “ to suppress increasing civil strife and the threat of communist takeover following a series of bombings “ - and a government-staged assassination attempt on Defense Minister Enrile. The declaration was well-received in some sectors, at least initially. During my visits ( http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....new-technology ) there was little evidence of restrictions or curfew enforcement. This partly reflected where I visited and the people I met ( doctors, nurses, and medical students ). It was still possible for locals and visitors – including me - to go partying and clubbing until the early hours of the morning. Of course it did eventually prove unpopular, as excesses and human rights abuses by the military emerged. The People Power Revolution of 1986 took place because of the many violated rights and abuse of authority by Marcos, his family and cronies. He died in exile in Hawaii three years later.
• In 2009, President Macapagal-Arroyo placed Maguindanao province under martial law, after the Ampatuan family had been implicated in the massacre of 57 persons, including women members of the rival Mangudadatu clan, human rights lawyers, and media workers, in the worst incident of political violence in the nation's history.
