Why I want martial law declared in the Philippines

I want martial law declared in the Philippines because I want this nation to be great again.

I want martial law declared because I no longer want to enjoy freedom. I do not want my right to free speech. In martial law it will be considered unlawful to speak out against the government’s human rights abuses. So no biased media, no social media. The Internet will most likely be strictly censored. Probably the only source of information would be government media outfits that will spew forth propaganda. Since I know the government never lies, I will be content with that.

I don’t want the right to assembly. I want rallies banned so people will stop taking to the streets and crying their voices hoarse against injustice and oppression. I don’t want trade unions and associations. I don’t care if businesses give me low wages and I don’t get benefits from working my ass off day in and day out. If by chance some corrupt official or sycophant is interested in my land or my business, I want them to be able to take my property by force. I certainly won’t mind.

If my father or brother gets arrested without a warrant and soldiers and police refuse to show them to me, I really don’t care if I can’t file a case in court. My father or brother is probably better of in jail or six feet under the ground anyway, as the case may be. If my mother or sister gets politely beaten or raped by some handsome politician-businessman-soldier, why should I mind? It serves them right, they’re just women.

I want martial law declared because I do not want any opposition or criticism. I want 70,000 people arrested; activists, artists, critics, politicians, even the ordinary student who would question why my sister would be voted in as chairperson of the Sangguniang Kabataan (he will have to be tortured and thrown out of the window, of course). Well, really, the government wouldn’t have had them arrested if they’re not criminals, right? People should stop criticizing the government if they want to stay out of jail.

I want martial law declared because I want 35,000 people tortured. I want to hear their screams. I would want to hear them beg for mercy and ask for forgiveness for fighting the government. Why, I probably would sleep better at night knowing that these criminals are well taken care of behind bars or in non-existent military safehouses. I’m sure they’re called safehouses because anyone you bring there would be safe from all harm.

I want martial law declared because I want 3,257 people dead. Dead because they spoke out, dead because they worked against the dictatorship, dead because they defended their rights, dead because they didn’t tow the line. So what if they’re dead? It serves them right if their children get killed because they wrote a book or a news article putting the government in a bad light. I wouldn’t be sorry if they died because they founded student organizations and labor unions and farmer’s associations and women’s groups and stood for their rights. These organizations just divide our people anyway.

I want martial law declared because I want corruption and greed to proliferate in the country. I want ten billion dollars in the hands of the dictator and his family and billions more in the pockets of cronies. I want the government to be the milking cow of corrupt politicians and military officers who want to enrich themselves by pocketing the taxes I and other ordinary people like me put in the public coffers. So what if they get rich stealing from me? I always loved that Robin Hood character, except under martial law it will be the rich stealing from the poor. What’s so wrong with that?

I want martial law because I want people to fear the government. I want to feel helpless and afraid. I want the Philippines to be locked in a never-ending cycle of corruption and abuse and death. I want fascism to be the norm. I want violence and injustice to reign. And then when everybody who dares oppose the government gets killed, tortured or imprisoned, then there will be real peace and justice in the our country.

And then this nation can be really great again.

This article was originally published on Bulatlat, an alternative online news agency based in the Philippines.