Notes

When we heared about the former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and the Martial law, what first comes into our minds? As a student who really wants to know the real reason behind of all the happenings, I want to also know the reason why a lot of people are still arguing about the statement "is Marcos a hero?". This topic is still relevant in our times today. We all know that former president Ferdinand Marcos (FM) brought a really big impact in our country but all of these things can be positive or negative. It changes so many people's perspective and also the way how our society works and why people continues to create a debate about this thing. Do we really need to talk about it? What are the reasons why FM is or not a hero? Do he really deserves to be burried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani?

Personally, after I search some informations about the said topic, I realized that because of FM's presidency, the democracy in the Philippines has been interrupted. I am not in favor that he is a hero but it does not mean that he do not have the part on the current situation of our country. For some reasons, there are things that we must consider when it comes to his presidency. One of the reasons why I do not believe that he is a hero is because of what I have read on rhe internet, and according to inquirer net site in the article "Is Marcos a Hero?" (2016), There are various dictionary definitions of a hero. One defines hero as " a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of actions." Another as "a man who exhibits etraordinary bravery, firmness, fortitude or greatness of the soul, in any course of an action." In short, a hero defines as a role model. Our country has a lot of Filipino Heros that fights for the democracy of the Philippines and yet they died because of the bravery they have. That's one of the reason why they became a hero while in the presidency of FM, as I have said earlier the democracy was being interrupted that time so he did not fight for it for the country to be free, instead, because of him why many people back then were no rights to be included in FM's management.

Second of all, FM won and was inaugurated as president on December 30, 1965. In 1969 he was reelected, becoming the first Philippine president to serve a second term. During his first term he had made progress in agriculture, industry, and education. Yet his administration was troubled by increasing student demonstrations and violent urban guerrilla activities. Year 1972 when FM imposed Martial Law in the Philippines. 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured and over 3,200 people were killed in the nine years after Marcos imposed martial law, according to Amnesty International. Marcos pulled down the country's trajectory, the economy, and effectively "stole" to future incomes to its knees. To sum up everything, Martial Law is one of the traumatic situation in the history because FM has an unlimited power to manipulate his under. In my own point of view, I'm curious on the real reason why he did all of this. Is it because he wants to have a good title? He wants to create history? Or is it because of all the bad intentions that some people said that he has in order to lead this country? He makes me believe that a real hero would not do anything to make his members suffer.

Lastly, when president FM was finally have its remains in Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB), with the help of the former president Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte states that "I will allow Marcos burial in the LNMB, not because he was a hero but he was a Filipino soldier." He clearly stated that Marcos is not a hero and yet he still helped Marcos' family to have his burial in the LNMB. It is quite confusing but I think he do it because of respect and to remember what FM did back when he was a president. On the contrary, I'm not saying that Marcos did nothing and not deserving to be in the LNMB but what are the reasons why his remains is there? There are other presidents who died but their burial was not in the LNMB. If the definition of a real hero is also a president then why some of the former presidents were not in the LNMB? And also if he is a Filipino soldier, he must be died during the war, used his life to save many lives, and who did nothing bad to a lot of people in the society.


To conclude everything, I disagree with the idea that he is a hero and again we must also consider all of the things that FM did in our country. I also believe that a real hero save lives and they did not use their powers to just end someone's. I do believe in "Everything happens for a reason" phrase that's why I'm really interested on the reasons why it happens at all. It happens maybe in a good or bad way but what else can we do? We just have to learn from it and to be braver so that it won't happen again. We all have the stand for this and it does not matter on where we stand.
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It does not define our personality at all but one thing that I want you all to know is we should believe in the absolute truth, because the more we compromise or the more we try to deny the truth, the more we prove that it is true. As what Joseph Campbell said, "A hero is someone who was given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." I really hope that I state or expressed all of my thoughts and ideas about the topic very well. Thank you.