The first (and only) issue of The Scholastican that I was able to release as its Editor-in-Chief was released during the height of the infamous burial of Former Pres. and dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. I can clearly remember how stressed and excited I was to release the said issue. After all, it was my team's brainchild and yet, I could not help but feel so down. My knees felt week and I could taste bile in my tongue as I edit the articles that my writers sent to me. It was not their way of writing that I disgust. It was what they were writing about. They were writing about the horrors, pain and abuse inflicted by the 1972 Martial Law. And last Thursday, September 21, 2017, was its 45th anniversary and boy, was it totally breathtaking. 

If you've been frequenting this blog (which I am totally grateful for), you would've noticed that this is not the first time that I talked about Martial Law or politics for that matter. I've spoken about my frustrations, anger and distrust. But I've decided that this post will be different. I will not narrate all the gruesome events that happened in the one year period since Pres. Duterte got into power. I will not speak about the extrajudicial killings, the surprising and sudden freedom of corrupt officials and even the lack of due process in the country. 

Why? 

Because it seems like I don't need to anymore. Filipinos are slowly but surely opening their eyes, minds and hearts on the horrid situation of the country. Filipinos, especially the millennials of today, are finally speaking up.  And this was evidenced by the thousands of protesters who marched towards Luneta from different parts of the country to err their frustrations towards the government despite rumors that Pres. Duterte will somehow find a way to declare Martial Law which may cause major catastrophe to the protesters.

But it didn't happen. 

The Republic of the Philippines is still a democracy. Why? Because those in power were able to see how the Filipino men and women are willing to sacrifice their life for freedom and history. They were able to see that despite their positions and connections, they are weaker when faced against the freedom-hungry and justice-seeking Filipino citizens. More than that, the government were able to see that the Filipinos are not blind and apathetic. Filipinos are awake. 

And this is what the government fears. This is why the government will not find it easy to declare Martial Law again. Filipinos are awake. We no longer need to see a good leader die. We no longer need people in yellow to lead and fight for us. We are finally capable to fight for what we believe in. We have the courage and compassion to bring our country back to its former glory. Most of all, we have finally embraced our responsibility to protect our country and to ensure that history will never repeat itself. 

Photo grabbed from: philstar.com