^ Kindly take note that during the 70s and 80s, there were no other forms of media other than tv, radio, and periodicals. Even landline phones had been scarce back then.
These days, people take for granted about the existence of the internet, mobile phones, websites, social media, etc. If we had the same type of ruler today, there would be no websites or other similar avenues for free speech or critical thinking.
We have a fake freedom of speech. If you think no one is controlling what's in the media, you're not really seeing what's happening.
There's just a longer leash but a leash nonetheless.
This statement, if spoken today with that dictator as our leader, will be enough for you to be taken by authorities, never to be seen again. In the first place, this forum would not exist because every opportunity for public expression would have been quashed.
I saw from another post, I don't know if it's from this thread, na wala ka dapat katakutan sa martial rule kung wala kang ginagawang masama. But there's the rub. There were many innocents who were taken from their homes, from the streets, kahit sila ay inosente. Hulihin ka, may warrant man o wala, may ebidensya man o wala. Ordinary working people na dinampot ng baranggay dahil nasa daan pa sila after 10 p.m. (curfew). Students na nawalang parang bula dahil classmate lamang sila ng isang hinihinalang aktibista. And then some time later, makikita sa pahayagan ang litrato ng kanilang mga katawan with the caption na sila ay mga napatay na rebelde.
Whether the younger generation realize it or not, we enjoy much more freedom now compared to the 70s up to the mid 80s. Madaming kapalpakan ang lahat ng lider na sumunod kay Apo Marcos, no exceptions. Bias sa news, tv, newspapers, government websites? Of course! Hindi mawawala yan sa corrupt nating gobyerno. Mula panahon ng Kastila or even before that, hindi mawawala ang gustong manakop, whether you're talking about economics, territory, media, or your family's inheritance.
Ang sa akin, walang ni isang Pilipino mula sa panahon ni Aguinaldo ang dapat pagkatiwalaan ng kapangyarihan na kasing-laki ng Martial Rule. Kaya ganoon na lang ang aking pagtutol sa pagboto sa isang politiko na ganoon na lang ang pagpapahalaga sa Martial Law. Next time, we or our children may just be hurtled back to the dark ages because of our very own choices.
So, whether you vote for BBM or any other person sa 2016, I hope everyone will research deeply about the candidates. We have all the resources. Lalo na ngayon na ang laki ng porsiyento ng mga botante na 35 yrs old and below. Hindi na nila naabutan ang parte na ito ng history ng mga Marcos at ng ibang matatandang politiko. Ito ang pagkakataon na inaantay nila: mga botante na walang memorya ng recent Philippine history, and they're hoping that the present generation will be as easily whitewashed as previous ones, despite the advances in technology.
