During the time of Martial Law, Filipinos were forced to obey the rules imposed by the Marcos regime. President Marcos and his wife Imelda became more powerful and influential. I was not yet born yet at that time but because of the stories as told by my parents and history teachers, I have come to learn that the Filipinos were disciplined. For instance, unlike today, the drivers then used to follow the traffic lights and the people walked on the pedestrian lanes when they cross the streets. They were afraid to not to abide by the rules because they might get arrested, kidnapped, tortured or worse, killed. When the Martial Law ended, the Philippines became a democratic country. Until today, the Filipinos are enjoying the freedom to express themselves through music, writing and the like. We are able to share our thoughts and ideas about the government without being punished in a gruesome way. It is our own prerogative if we want to obey or not to obey the government.
We obey the government for the reason that it has the moral authority to enforce rules for the good of its country, to maintain peace and order. By means of the rules, we are able to know what is expected from us. Like what Jenny Edkins wrote in her article, “It is good to have a framework of conventions and rules in place even though some of them may not be ideal, and for them to be someone else, in a leadership position, who is responsible for dealing with many crises that may come along.” The rules serve as a guide for us to be prepared when something unexpected happens. In relation to this, we are also afraid of the consequences which we may encounter if we disobeyed them. On the other hand, if the government is bad, we are still obliged to obey it since its power is legitimate. No matter how bad it is, it is our responsibility to respect and acknowledge its authority. However, we have the right to disobey and oust the government if we feel that the rules aren’t becoming beneficial for our interests and needs anymore. Hence, the People Power in EDSA happened twenty four years ago and President Marcos lost his power to control the Philippines.
In three months, a new government will be born. As citizens of this country, we have to practice our right to vote and choose for the candidates, who we think, deserve to become our leaders. We need a government that finds ways on how to solve the problems or issues in and caters to the concerns of the society. We should not only depend on their popularity or life story. Let’s become wiser this time. We don’t want another people power, right?
We obey the government for the reason that it has the moral authority to enforce rules for the good of its country, to maintain peace and order. By means of the rules, we are able to know what is expected from us. Like what Jenny Edkins wrote in her article, “It is good to have a framework of conventions and rules in place even though some of them may not be ideal, and for them to be someone else, in a leadership position, who is responsible for dealing with many crises that may come along.” The rules serve as a guide for us to be prepared when something unexpected happens. In relation to this, we are also afraid of the consequences which we may encounter if we disobeyed them. On the other hand, if the government is bad, we are still obliged to obey it since its power is legitimate. No matter how bad it is, it is our responsibility to respect and acknowledge its authority. However, we have the right to disobey and oust the government if we feel that the rules aren’t becoming beneficial for our interests and needs anymore. Hence, the People Power in EDSA happened twenty four years ago and President Marcos lost his power to control the Philippines.
In three months, a new government will be born. As citizens of this country, we have to practice our right to vote and choose for the candidates, who we think, deserve to become our leaders. We need a government that finds ways on how to solve the problems or issues in and caters to the concerns of the society. We should not only depend on their popularity or life story. Let’s become wiser this time. We don’t want another people power, right?
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