A GARRISON STATE IN THE MAKE AND
OTHER SPEECHES
Senator Benigno "Ninoy" S. Aquino, Jr.
1968- Ninoy’s maiden speech on the Senate floor, he
mounted a political assault on Marcos, charging that
the President plotted to make a “garrison state” of the
Philippines.
Garrison state - a military state in being
*crisis in our political democracy = development of a
garrison state or making of a military state :
a. ballooning the armed forces budget
b. saddling the defense establishment with
overstaying generals and
c. militarizing our civilian government offices all
these caveats uttered almost four years before Martial
law.
Ninoy decided to play secret agent himself.
1. In his speech on the secret army, Ninoy gave an
extra turn to the screw. What he exposed was not so
much the North Borneo aspect of operation Jabidah
as the larger implications of the project
*Jabidah - the codename for a sinister design of
President Marcos
Operations: to secure his power in position and
achieve territorial gains ; to wipe out the oppositions
and Westernizing his country
Leader: Major Abdullatif Martelino ; head of Defense
Department's Civil Affair Office ; recruiter
Qualifications :
-Tausug young men ages 18 to 30
-has a working knowledge of Tausug dialect
-with experience in smuggling and kumpit sailing
-familiarity of the neighboring islands
-pleasing personality
-preferably with high school or college education
Tasks:
- indoctrinate and brainwash barrio councils
-repose faith and reliance - great provider
Result = Corregidor affair / Corregidor massacre
2. In exposing the anomalies at the PCSO, Ninoy
raised the question of whether the PCSO, too, like the
armed forces, was not being used for purposes other
than intended by law- for purposes even and against
the law
* Paeng Yabut - radio / tv caster who was ambushed,
gunned down, and left dead for the reason of
denouncing the saddle mismanagement of
Sweepstakes ridden with irregularities, peculiarities,
even downright anomalies
3. When Mr. Marcos sought to disclaim
responsibility for the Jabidah mess, Ninoy was quick
to compare the President to a Pilate washing his
hands. But what a lot of blood to be washed off.
4. Ninoy also assailed the New Immorality of the
Marcos billion peso road for which curiously enough
only 2 firms and their silent partner
* P100 million pork barrel ~ shifted to the
construction of Juanico “Bridge of Love” project
costing 66 million as “Mr. Marcos’ Folly” –– a
luxury bridge. Birthday gift to his wife.
* Two firms: CDCP ( Construction and Development
Corporation of the Phillipines ) ; AEDC ( Asian
Energy and Development Corporation )
5. Since 1969 was a presidential election year, Ninoy
had ample reason, in 1968, to suspect that the
Jabidah operation was a dark sinister scheme
orchestrated by a shadowy hands to advance
President Marcos' ambitions. And he hurled back at
the President the charge of irresponsibility
* Sabah issue
6. Ninoy would call the New period's terror tactic a
form of genocide; whether Huk or not, Pampangos
were being wiped out.
* exposed what he called an Army and Philippine
Constabulary campaign of terror in Central Luzon,
identifying military Death Squads as group which
styled themselves as the “Monkees” to counteract the
terror units called the Beatles
II. Ninoy's second year in the Senate
Bills filed:
a. Study Now, Pay Later
b. Magna Carta of Students
c. Student Representation
d. Freedom Park
According to Ninoy: " the Opposition in this country
was no longer the traditional opposition party but
rather group of young activists- students as the new
force
In the Bill of Rights in the Filipino Constitution,
habeas corpus is listed near-identically to the U.S.
Constitution in Article 3, Section 15:
"The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not
be suspended except in cases of invasion or rebellion
when the public safety requires it."
* Marcos suspend the writ of habeas corpus ~ used
the rising wave of lawlessness and the threat of a
Communist insurgency as justification
* He ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and
militant activists, including his critics Senator
Benigno Aquino, Jr. and Senator Jose Diokno.

e. Youth Suffrage * Political opponents and militarist activist were

arrested and exiled
f. Automatic Teachers Retirement

1970 - the nation was in destruction

*Long riot began 50,000 students gathered on

Burgos Drive

* Majority of the demonstrators were earnest in

making their pleas be heard and not to make battle
#19
with the police Balneg, Jessalaine Karen T.
* Police became cruel and brutal What is showed is,
our police agencies are ill-disciplined, ill-oriented,
ill-trained and ill- equipped to cope with the civil
disturbances.

*It was all street fighting at barricades. The street

became the battleground between the youth marching
with red flag and placard and helmeted troops
marching with truncheon (baton) and wicker shield.

Results:

spread of violence in the streets

incompetence in the government

corruption in the police forces