54th Martial Law Anniversary: The Marcos Sr. Regime in Numbers

The commemoration of the 54th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law brings renewed focus on the documented human rights violations as well as the social, economic, and political impact of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s authoritarian rule, from his becoming the 10th President of the country in 1965, spanning to the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, until his exile from the Philippines in 1986. 

On Sept. 21, 1972, Marcos Sr. signed Proclamation No. 1081, placing the Philippines under Martial Law and citing threats including communist rebellion and secessionist movements in Mindanao as grounds for the declaration. 

The proclamation consolidated state authority under the presidency, allowing him to govern the land with limited legislative oversight. Following this, he was able to issue 1,941 presidential decrees, 1,331 letters of instruction, and 896 executive orders during his term, as per the Martial Law Museum. This resulted in the closure of media outlets, mass detention of political opponents, and severe human rights violations. 

Human Rights Toll 

Records cited by the Philippine Daily Inquirer documented the extensive human rights violations during the Marcos Sr. regime, including approximately 70,000 warrantless arrests, 34,000 cases of torture, and 3,240 extrajudicial killings. These figures illustrate the scale of human rights abuses documented during the period of authoritarian rule. 

During his administration, there were 11,103 approved claims for state-recognized victims of human rights violations as per the Aug. 23, 2023 record of Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC). This figure reflects claims processed by the commission and does not necessarily represent the total number of people who experienced human rights violations during the administration.

Records from the HRVVMC and the University of the Philippines Institute of Human Rights (UP IHR) showed the tally of recognized victims who were awarded reparations per human rights violation: 3,325 victims were detained for up to 36 hours or longer, 2,104 survivors of rape and torture, 2,326 individuals who were killed or disappeared, and 3,318 who were involuntarily exiled from the country. 

Economic Impact

The economic record of the Marcos Sr. administration has been the subject of competing interpretations, including claims that the period represented the country’s “golden years.” Economic data cited by the HRVVMC, however, showed contractions in gross domestic product (GDP) during the economic crisis of the mid-1980s, with GDP declining by 7.3% across 1984 and 1985. Average incomes subsequently took years to recover, with levels not returning to their 1982 figures until 2003, according to the same source.

By 1986, the country’s foreign debt had reached $28.26 billion, according to data cited by the Martial Law Museum. The HRVVMC also reported that the country’s dollar account position had turned negative, reflecting pressures on the country’s capacity to meet its foreign debt obligations.

By the end of the Marcos administration, six in 10 Filipino families were living in poverty, according to data cited by the Martial Law Museum. Wage figures also declined during the period, with the daily wages of skilled workers falling from ₱127 in 1962 to ₱35 in 1986, while the wages for unskilled workers decreased from ₱89 to ₱23. The consumer price index, meanwhile, had tripled by the final decade of the administration compared with the 1976 baseline.

UP IHR and a Rappler fact-check also reported that 5.8% of Filipino children suffered from severe protein-energy malnutrition, six years into the distribution of the Nutribun program introduced by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1970. Malnutrition worsened as 69% of preschoolers were underweight, while two-thirds of Filipino households failed to meet daily minimum calorie requirements in 1982, as per the HRVMMC report. 

Media Repression

Marcos Sr. issued Letter of Instruction No.1 directing the takeover of major media outlets that were allegedly involved in subversive activities against the administration.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the directives led to the closure of 464 media outlets, including 66 television channels, 312 radio stations, 60 community papers, 8 major English newspapers, and 18 vernacular, Spanish, and English-language dailies. Several media organizations such as Kanlaon Broadcasting System and Philippine Daily Express were subsequently allowed to resume operations under ownership or management linked to individuals associated with the Marcos administration. 

The crackdown extended beyond mainstream media, reaching campus publications that served as platforms for student expression and dissent. At the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), Ang Hasik was shut down following the declaration of Martial Law. Among its editors was Liliosa “Lili” Hilao, who was later killed under detention and is remembered as a student journalist and Martial Law victim.

The restrictions were also felt in other universities. The University of the Philippines’ (UP) Philippine Collegian operated under rules governing campus publications during Martial Law, while the autonomous “Rebel Collegian” went underground. Meanwhile, the University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) The Varsitarian continued publishing as the university imposed regulations governing political activity, campus publications, and student conduct. De La Salle University’s (DLSU) The LaSallian was placed under a University Board of Review that inspected its content before publication. In 1977, the publication was temporarily suspended following a dispute over the review and approval process.

The restrictions on campus publications mirrored the wider crackdown on the Philippine press. Many journalists were also detained to neutralize the press during the first week of Martial Law. Among those were Teodoro Locsin Sr. of the Philippine Free Press and Chino Roces of The Manila Times, along with journalists including Amando Doronila, Luis Beltran, Maximo Soliven, Juan Mercado, and Luis Mauricio.

State Asset Recovery

The World Bank’s Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative estimated that between $5 billion and $10 billion in public funds were allegedly misappropriated during Marcos Sr. 's years in office.

The Swiss Federal Supreme Court also declared that the Marcoses acquired $356 million in ill-gotten wealth stored in Swiss banks in 1997. Following this, the Supreme Court of the Philippines in July 2003 (G.R. No. 152154) ordered the money deposited in escrow at the Philippine National Bank to be forfeited back to the national government. 

This led the Sandiganbayan to convict the former First Lady Imelda Marcos of seven counts of graft in November 2018. However, the Supreme Court acquitted the former First Lady in a decision dated June 10 this year due to the prosecution's “lack of evidentiary requirements” to sustain criminal convictions. 

Filipinos remember

Marcos Sr.’s presidency ended in February 1986 following the EDSA People Power Revolution, after which he left the Philippines and went into exile in Hawaii.

More than five decades after the declaration of Martial Law, documented figures on human rights violations, economic conditions, media repression, and asset recovery continue to form part of the historical record of the Marcos Sr. administration. 

Examining these figures provides a numerical account of the conditions and events that shaped Philippine history—influencing the current socio-political and economic footing and underscoring the efforts of families and victims still pursuing accountability.