In the news is the coup-de-etat in Thailand, where an army general has overthrown the prime minister and declared martial law. It was not bloody, the prime minister was here at the UN for the general assembly meet. Reminds me of when martial law was declared in the Philippines in 1972, around this time on September 21. I was in first year high school, an intern in one of the catholic schools, and had no clue when my brother picked me up. I thought it will just be another weekend. But the streets were empty, we were lucky to even get a ride back to Kamias. I think there was no school for two weeks, there was a referendum where people were asked to converge in the public plazas and raise their hands if they approve of whatever it was they were getting asked to vote on. How could anybody have said no? Being an intern I stayed behind school walls for the rest of the year, so I was quite oblivious to what was happening outside.

At the start people were very optimistic about the whole set-up, communists were rounded-up, streets were being cleaned, long hair was out, and drug dealers were being executed. The only hassle for me though was there was only one TV channel, with one talking head. No cartoons, no shows for I don’t remember how long.

By the time I got into UP the underground movement was gaining strength, in the countryside and in the campuses. I even got to join a lightning rally at Avenida. Being the impressionable young girl I was, I gave in to peer pressure and went with my friends. It was the anniversary of either the First Quarter Storm or Martial Law, but when we get to Avenida, water cannons were ready in the back alleys and police were milling about, waiting for the action to start. It was really traumatic for me, and I promised never again to listen to my no-good friends (haha).

It will take another 10 years after that incident for a street movement to finally oust the dictator, but recent incidents bring these memories back. I no longer live there but it will always be my home. It breaks my heart that things have not gotten better, and for most the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dimmer. Even my old schoolmates (and teachers!) who are now in positions of power have seemed to have forgotten how they managed to get their hugely discounted public education. Mga iskolar ng bayan, some even enable the plunder and abuse.