Secondary sources are books and materials that offer analysis and synthesis of historical events, often through the interpretation of primary sources. Secondary sources are usually products of research using a variety of sources by scholars and researchers, and in particular, by those who have published about the Martial Law period, its significance and legacy in the Philippines.
A brief overview of Philippine literature written during the Marcos period composed by noted literary critic, Leonard Casper.
Casper, Leonard. The Opposing Thumb: Decoding the Literature of the Marcos Regime. Quezon City: Giraffe Books, 1995.
Martial Law@50: Alaala at Kasaysayan ng Pagbabalikwas features academic papers that investigate new and important issues and topics about the dictatorship such as the peasant movement under the dictatorship, children’s literature on Martial Law, and online disinformation and historical distortions. The book also underscores the lived experiences of individuals who were organized under the national democratic movement like Bonifacio Ilagan, Judy Taguiwalo, Grace Mahinay, Carol Araullo, and others. It also includes one of Jose Maria Sison’s last works before his demise in December 2022.
Gealogo, Francis A., Laurence Marvin S. Castillo, Francisco Jayme Paolo A. Guiang, Michael D. Pante, and Reginald S. Vallejos (eds.). Martial Law @50: Alaala at Kasaysayan ng Pagbabalikwas. Quezon City: IBON Foundation, Inc., 2022.
This academic study published by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) disproves the controversial assertion that Ferdinand E. Marcos was a World War II hero. In this work, the NHCP conducts a detailed primary source analysis to show that the purported Marcos medals and his “Maharlika” guerilla unit were all a product of forgeries and invented narratives. NHCP’s study is a perfect resource material for students, teachers, and researchers who are interested not only in Martial Law studies but also in historical methods.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Why Ferdinand E. Marcos should not be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Manila: National Historical Commission of the Philippines, 2016.
Martial Law in the Philippines: Lessons & Legacies, 1972-2022 is a collection of essays that explore a multitude of topics about the dictatorship period: cultural politics, dictatorial fantasies, populism and authoritarianism, religion, urban poor organizing, indigenous people, Filipino-Chinese identity, party politics, electoral reform, media roles, the Philippine constitution, population management, crony economic governance, terror and violence, the move from Marcos Sr. to Marcos Jr., and the Philippine Left. Its final chapter serves as an assessment of Martial Law 50 years since its declaration, and the prospects that face the Filipino people moving forward.
De Jesus, Edilberto and Ivyrose S. Baysic (eds.). Martial Law in the Philippines: Lessons & Legacies, 1972-2022. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2023.
False Nostalgia: The Marcos Golden Age Myths and How to Debunk Them focuses on disproving the “golden age” narrative that the Marcos family and their cohorts have propagated for many years. The book is timely because such myths have permeated into the consciousness of Filipinos who consume Marcosian propaganda. Using data and facts, it carefully debunks these myths and, in the process, recreates a narrative about the state of the economy during the Marcos years.
Punongbayan, JC. False Nostalgia: The Marcos Golden Age Myths and How to Debunk Them. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2023.
Suarez reviews a history of the Protestant Church in the Philippines and appraises its relationship with the Philippine Social and Political Climate under Authoritarian Rule. The text also includes a forward from the late Senator and Martial Law Survivor Jovito Salonga. The book not only juxtaposes Philippine Protestantism near the end of the 20th century with the struggle for nationhood, but also provides a discourse on its potential for transformative theology and practice.
Suarez, Oscar S. “Protestantism and Authoritarian Politics: The Politics off Repression and the future of Ecumenical Witness in the Philippines.” Quezon City: New Day Publishers. 1998.
This article uses a comparative institutional approach to study the role of the state in the Philippines under Marcos. It looks at the different states in Philippine history and how it compares to the state model of Martial law in order to understand the prospects of democracy and development in the country.
Litonjua, M. D. “The State in Development Theory: The Philippines Under Marcos.” Philippine Studies 49, no. 3 (2001): 368–98.
In this article written soon after the People Power revolt, political economist William Overholt comprehensively analyzes the conditions that led to rise of Marcos, Martial Law and the eventual decline of his regime, focusing primarily on economic reforms and its effects on political stability.
Overholt, William H. “The Rise and Fall of Ferdinand Marcos.” Asian Survey 26, no. 11 (1986): 1137–63. https://doi.org/10.2307/2644313.
This article examines various U.S. policies and administrations with regards to President Marcos and his regime. It interrogates whether these administrations were misguided and have contributed substantially to the economic and political problems in the Philippines.
Kessler, Richard J. “Marcos and the Americans.” Foreign Policy, no. 63 (1986): 40–57. https://doi.org/10.2307/1148755.
This article by U.S. Foreign Relations expert, Gary Hawkes, interrogates the so-called American dilemma. How and why to support Marcos in the midst of mounting economic and political pressures? Gawes looks at important issues such as military aid and bases, the economy and opposition to Marcos.
Hawes, Gary. “United States Support for the Marcos Administration and the Pressures That Made for Change.” Contemporary Southeast Asia 8, no. 1 (1986): 18–36.
Marcos Martial Law: Never Again is a book by Raissa Robles, a veteran journalist, who comprehensively details the culture of corruption, impunity, and brutality of President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ dictatorship. Robles’ work can be appreciated as a history of torture in the Philippines, with particular focus on the apparent and “deliberate policy” of torture implemented by the Marcos regime. Moreover, Robles paints a vivid picture of torture by citing the actual experiences of Martial Law survivors who endured various torture methods employed by the military.
Robles, Raissa. Marcos Martial Law: Never Again. Filipinos for a Better Philippines, Inc, 2016.
Teresa Tadem’s book historicizes the rise of technocrats in President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ government during the pre-Martial Law years and their crucial roles in sustaining the regime during the Martial Law period. Tadem looks at the background of these technocrats and the conditions which made them prominent in their respective fields, thereby catapulting them into service under Marcos’ government. The book illustrates the dynamic relationship between technocracy and key government instrumentalities crucial for policy-making in the context of the Marcos regime.
Tadem, Teresa S. Philippine Politics and the Marcos Technocrats: The Emergence and Evolution of a Power Elite. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2019. [With permission from author and publisher.]
