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Martial law in the Philippines: How does this relate to Indonesia?
The people of the Philippines and Indonesia should never let their guard down in protecting civic space in their respective countries.
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Walk in the park: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (second right) and First Lady Iriana (left) take visiting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (second left) and First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos to the veranda of Bogor Palace on Sept. 5, 2022. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
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ever forget that 50 years ago this month, the dictator Ferdinand Marcos placed the entire Philippine archipelago under martial law. The Marcoses and their cronies called it the country’s “golden era”. But for the toiling masses, this period remains one of the darkest in Philippine history.
Both the Philippines and Indonesia have suffered grueling authoritarian regimes in the past: Filipinos endured almost 21 years of the Marcos dictatorship until the People Power Revolution in 1986, while Indonesians toppled dictator Soeharto’s 31-year rule at a time when the country was hit by the Asian financial crisis.
For the record, both Marcos and Soeharto are still relevant in their respective countries, and their influence in domestic politics has not stopped groups or parties from using their names for political gain.
In the recently held Philippine presidential election in May, the late dictator’s namesake, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, won the presidency convincingly, becoming the first to be elected by the majority since 1986 (post-Marcos Sr. administration).
While there is an opposition exposing the dirty politics of Marcos Jr, it is not enough to combat the state machinery that allows for mass campaigns filled with nostalgia and myth-building, especially since this is the very same political machine that enabled Rodrigo Duterte’s rise to power in 2016.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has been a target of online defamation and fake news, particularly from religious hardliners. The moderate Jokowi is often falsely portrayed as being of Chinese descent and even a sympathizer of the nonexistent Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). These widely published hoaxes from conservative elements are a big headache for the Indonesian President, knowing that the references are automatically perceived as a stain on political identity.
An example of fake news thriving in Indonesia is its misinformation architects successfully derailing the political career of former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, a Chinese and a Christian, after he served nearly two years in prison for being conviction for blaspheming against Islam. Both Jokowi and Ahok’s political detractors used the same sentiments designed to halt their growing popularity, although it did not work to defeat the former’s 2019 reelection bid.
