The state has once again unmasked its iron-hand character.

By perpetrating another military crackdown that continues to send seismic waves of terror, the state has unleashed another stinging blow to the cause of human rights. And, again, more victims have been added to the expanding list of human rights violations in the country.

For, like fugitives of law, they were rounded by military units without any regard for the authority of warrant of arrest. And not only were they denied their basic constitutional rights, but they were also subjected to inhuman atrocities. Some were not spared physical harm; others reportedly continue to face harsh ordeals in military “safehouses.” To date, no definite charges have been filed against them. 

Indeed, the rule of law has become a mere verbiage in our society, a mere nuisance—a nightmare even. 

Thus, another deception has been unveiled, another contradiction has been crystallized, another truth has been revealed. Despite its grand proclamations of human rights under the New Republic, the regime has intensified its invasions of individual rights and dignity. It has bolstered its military campaign against its people. 

But this is no strange state behavior. Repression has been the consistent logic of the Martial Law regime. It is a logic engendered by the inherent contradictions gripping our society. We have a regime that openly repudiates the genuine aspirations of its people, serving instead the narrow demands of class and foreign interests. 

Since it stands in sharp contrast to the objective interests of the people, the regime can only rest upon the strength of force. And a regime founded upon the strength of force develops no other logic but violence. The imprints of violence are just too vivid: Guinayangan Massacre, Daet Massacre, Las Navas Massacre, Colasi Massacre.

But violence only breeds violence. And the period of fear generated by Martial Law has been overcome by an era of resistance. The cities and countryside are rapidly transforming into an arena of confrontation between a regime bent on maintaining the structures of oppression and an awakened people struggling for liberation.

But how long will it take for us to realize that the entire country is gradually turning into a vast military camp? How long will it be before we recognize that our nation is on the brink of radical upheaval? How long will it take before we finally learn to understand that militarization and other forms of state violence can only be stopped through our conscious and determined struggle for social liberation? 

As students, we are faced with a historical task of accurately reflecting upon the conditions of our times. The times indeed urgently call for a re-study of our prevailing outlooks, for a reassessment of our direction in life. As society becomes rapidly polarized, we cannot afford to be crippled in our own cells. 

This is no time for indecision. This is no period for ambivalence. This is the time for steadfast commitment. ●

Published in print in the Collegian’s March 10, 1982 issue.