21/09/2026
๐จ๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐๐ง๐ฌ'๐ฆ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐ข๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ช ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก
On September 21, 1972, one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history began as then-President Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1081, placing the entire country under Martial Law. What was presented as a way to restore order, quickly unravelled into an unrestrained campaign of terror, where freedom of speech was completely eradicated, numerous media outlets were forcibly shut down, and state forces moved with absolute impunity (GMA News, 2016). According to Amnesty International (2022), more than 70,000 people were illegally detained, 34,000 were tortured, and 3,240 were brutally assassinated. Yet, the corruption of the era was also reflected in the countryโs highly unstable economy. While the Marcoses bathed in luxury, hosted lavish international galas, and siphoned billions into secret offshore bank accounts, thousands and millions of Filipinos were pushed into deep poverty, massive foreign debt, and severe economic collapse.
The concentration of political power was accompanied by the concentration of economic power among Marcos and his cronies, with estimates at around $5 billion to $10 billion of ill-gotten wealth. It was never a golden age in Philippine history, as the countryโs external debt rose dramatically to $26 billion by 1986. ๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐๐บ๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐๐, ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐โ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐. The weight of these decisions remain to be felt and carried by succeeding generations, ultimately placing every born and unborn Filipinos under a burden no one chose to bear.
Decades after the Filipino people united to overthrow a tyrant, we find ourselves once again under an administration with the exact same family nameโ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ while history repeats itself.
Until today, the memory of Martial Law remains relevant, as questions of how public resources are managed and whose welfare they ultimately serve continue to persist. Under the present administration, concerns on the implementation of flood-control projects, the Vice Presidentโs questionable allocation of confidential funds, and budget priorities have again brought attention to the use and accountability of government resources. These concerns are especially important in education and science, where budget cuts can directly affect the learning and working conditions of students, faculty, and researchers. In UPV, the lack of adequate laboratory facilities, reagents, and instruments presents challenges to the quality of hands-on experience, affecting the ability of students to develop technical skills, of educators to provide meaningful laboratory instructions, and of researchers to pursue work capable of national development and serving the peopleโs best interest. These realities strengthen our calls for ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐, ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐โ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐.
The suppression of political dissent during Martial Law also continues to resonate in the contemporary struggles of journalists, student leaders, activists, and other critics of the government. The case of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who was convicted in January 2026 on terrorism-financing charges and remains detained while appealing her conviction, is a prime example of the press freedom challenges encountered by journalists, human rights defenders, and every Filipino who courageously steps into the political discussion in todayโs time. As advocates of advancing science and research with the aid of truth, these issues are perceived as inseparable from the freedom to investigate, question, present evidence, and challenge claims with facts. We, therefore, recognize that ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ณ๐๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ.
The UPV Chemistry Society unites in solidarity with the Filipino people in the continuing struggle against rampant corruption, which undermines public trust and deprives communities of resources meant to serve their needs. We stand with ordinary Filipinos who bear the detrimental effects of corruption through inadequate public services, limited opportunities, and the persistent neglect of their basic needs. We are particularly concerned by the misallocation and misuse of public funds, especially in the education and science and technology sectors, where resources are essential to nurturing future generations, advancing knowledge, and building a more sustainable and progressive society. In accordance with our organizationโs mission and vision, which uphold academic excellence, scientific advancement, social responsibility, and service to the community, we affirm that science and education must be supported by systems founded on transparency, accountability, and integrity. As we commemorate ML54, we call for collective action toward a society where ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ.
As students of science and Iskolars ng Bayan, we uphold a duty not to remain silent amidst the silencing. Our education, as funded by the taxes of every Filipino worker, carries with it a responsibility to utilize knowledge in service of the people and to uphold the values of truth, critical thinking, and accountability. ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒโ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ, ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ.
๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ข๐ !
๐๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ โ๐ฌ๐๐ก, ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ข๐ง!
๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐๐!
