Tonight will be the twenty-first night of September. I must’ve heard that phrase somewhere…

Oh yeah, it was from Earth, Wind and Fire’s hit song, “September.” And then suddenly, it came to me that it’s the nth anniversary of ex-President Marcos’ announcement of him signing Proclamation No. 1081, more popularly known here in the Philippines as Martial Law. And like Samo Hung, Marcos made Martial Law a career. A good one. A lucrative one.

Ever wondered how a small-town boy went to becoming an instant billionaire (dollar-billionaire, perhaps)? OK, fine, I wasn’t born during these rough and tough times, but knowing that fewer people die today (as the press say) than before was a relief that I was born to live in a freer environment.

Oh, I forgot! I was born during the year Ninoy Aquino was assassinated. Same year when Michael Jackson released his single “Thriller.” No wonder it became popular among Pinoys! They see monsters everywhere during those times.

I remember my Gramps’ sister told me it was way better off before, during Marcos’ regime, than now, when officials tend to be more corrupt and more aggressive than before. She told me, it was better back then because you know who was corrupt, and everything just felt simpler. Yes, the prices of fish and rice might’ve increased dramatically during those times, but she told me, everything was simpler, in order. She didn’t mention anything about freedom. But now, it seems that every other official in the country, from the Barangays to the Malacanang Palace, are little Marcoses. I understand what she was saying, but what I can’t understand is why can’t she see that we are at an advantage today than before?

OK, people who say stuff against these powerful people might be “silenced” or “salvaged,” (“salvage” is a Filipino term for being gunned down and sent to a dark, and deserted place, and letting the corpse rot down memory lane) but don’t we think we could speak more at ease today than before? Didn’t we just convict a President for being corrupt? Why not do it now if we really feel that it’s time for a revolution? Do we consider ourselves mobsters if we become Barbaric towards corruption?

Oh, I forgot. I’m a hypocrite. I don’t say these stuff normally. I also don’t like being a “Political Afficionado.” Well, I guess there’s still something inside me left by the Marcos Regime. Can the Marcoses pay for damages because of me not being provocative enough? Surely Imelda would just dance this thing away…

To the sound of “Septmeber.”

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