The period 1972-1986 is considered one of the darkest in Philippine history.
In the 15 years that began with President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law in September 1972 up until the EDSA People Power Revolution in February 1986, the country witnessed the highest number of cases of state-backed human rights violations, when thousands of Filipinos, most of them at the prime of their lives, were arrested, tortured, and summarily executed.
Many too, disappeared without a trace, leaving their loved ones without closure to this day. There were those who lived to tell the tale, but not without the tell-tale scars of trauma.
Thirty years had passed since the end of that dark era in our country’s history. And yet, survivors and the relatives of those who had perished during the authoritarian rule of Marcos are still waiting for justice.
While the acts of heroism and the sacrifices they had made for democracy have been recognized by groups such as the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, thousands of them have grown old and died without receiving any reparation and recognition from the government.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
