Senator Alan Cayetano calls for honest reckoning of Martial Law, post-EDSA democracy

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano urged Filipinos to learn the lessons of history as he called for an honest examination of the country’s experience under Martial Law and the democracy that followed.

In a statement titled “Reflections on Law, Culture, and Nationhood: A Martial Law Baby Looks Back,” Cayetano reflected on his experience growing up during the Marcos Sr. presidency and entering adulthood following the 1986 People Power Revolution.

“I was born in 1970. When Martial Law was declared in 1972, I was too young to understand what it meant,” Cayetano said.

He acknowledged that some Filipinos associate the Martial Law period with government projects, opportunities, and a sense of order, while others experienced detention, torture, disappearances, and the loss of loved ones.

“These are documented wrongs that the Philippine state has formally recognized through its law providing recognition and reparations to victims,” he said.

Cayetano stressed that positive memories of the period should not erase the suffering experienced by other families.

“A family’s peaceful experience cannot erase another family’s suffering,” he said.

He also called on Filipinos to examine the post-1986 democratic period, noting that the restoration of freedom and elections did not automatically resolve poverty, corruption, and unequal access to education and opportunities.

“Freedom did not automatically put food on every table. Elections did not automatically end corruption,” Cayetano said.

He added that disappointment with the results of democracy should not be used to excuse abuses committed during Martial Law.

“We have to be capable of examining both without using either to avoid the other,” he said.

Cayetano, who acknowledged his own participation in the country’s politics, said he must also examine his decisions, the people he has supported, and whether he consistently applies the standards he expects from others.

He urged Filipinos to preserve historical testimony, examine records, and help future generations distinguish evidence from repetition and understanding from inherited loyalty.

The senator identified the 1987 Constitution’s Preamble as a starting point for developing a shared national vision grounded in human dignity, the common good, and responsibility toward succeeding generations.

He said this vision should translate into concrete improvements in people’s daily lives, including better educational opportunities, fair access to justice, and the ability to question those in authority without fear for their safety.

Cayetano also emphasized the importance of democratic processes and the rule of law in allowing citizens with different convictions to make decisions, challenge mistakes, and replace leaders peacefully.

“A sincere desire to improve the country does not make anyone incapable of error,” he said. “Nor can a nation’s future depend entirely on the wisdom or goodness of whoever happens to hold power.”

He called for institutions capable of correcting wrongdoing, including when it involves people whom citizens support or admire.

Cayetano further challenged Filipinos to defend the rights of people with whom they disagree with, demand accountability from leaders they helped elect, and accept lawful results while continuing to pursue change peacefully.

“Our answers reveal the culture we are building,” he said.

As the country marks 54 years since the declaration of Martial Law, Cayetano said his generation shares responsibility for the nation it will leave to future generations.

“As a Martial Law baby, I cannot change the country into which I was born. But I share responsibility for the country another child is being born into today,” he said.

He ended his statement by expressing hope for stronger communities, trustworthy institutions, and families whose lives become more secure and hopeful.