Previously, around 8,000 individuals, including senators, civil libertarians, journalists, students, and labor leaders, were arrested and detained without due process upon the declaration of martial law. Using the stick and carrot method on the justices of the Supreme Court, President Marcos was able to force the Supreme Court to uphold martial law and the new constitution. Second, he intimidated the Supreme Court to approve it. Results report that 90 percent of the citizens have voted for the constitution even though some communities did not participate in the “citizens assemblies.” Over the next few years, Marcos would hold four more plebiscites-in 1973, 1975, 1976, and 1978-through citizen assemblies to legitimize the continuation of martial rule. Reports indicated that mayors and governors were given quotas for “yes” votes on the constitution and negative votes were often not recorded. Military men were placed prominently to intimidate voters.
The replacement of the Constitution was done under dubious circumstances.įirst, Marcos ordered a viva voce plebiscite on January 10–15, 1973 in which the voting age was reduced to 15 to ratify the new Constitution. Martial Law was not just an invocation of the President’s emergency powers under the 1935 Constitution-Marcos went further to assume all governing powers, excluded civilian courts, and systematically replaced the 1935 Constitution with the 1973 Constitution for his own ends. With the swell of student radicalization and increasing number of violent demonstrations, Marcos played up middle-class fears and used these to justify the imposition of Martial Law on Septemby virtue of Proclamation No. There were efforts to maneuver the 1971 Constitutional Convention to permit his continuing in office. Marcos assumed power on December 30, 1965, and became the second president reelected to office in 1969.
0 kommentar(er)
