ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos

Martial law is like when the teacher announces that there's a new rule in the classroom, and they have to be in charge of everything. In the Philippines in the 1970s, Ferdinand Marcos was the leader of the country and he declared martial law. This means he decided to have total control over everything in the country, kind of like being the boss of the whole place.

When Marcos declared martial law, he said that there were big problems in the country that needed fixing, like crime and violence. He also said that there were people who wanted to overthrow him as the leader of the country. So by declaring martial law, Marcos had total control over everything, and he could do whatever he wanted to make sure that these problems were fixed and that he stayed in charge.

However, for many people in the Philippines, martial law was not a good thing. It meant that the government became more powerful and controlling, people's rights were taken away, and anyone who spoke against the government could be punished. Marcos made it hard for people to speak out against him or the government, and people who did were often arrested or punished.

During martial law, many people were afraid to speak up, and there were a lot of human rights abuses (when people's rights are taken away and they're hurt or punished unfairly). There were also a lot of people who disappeared or were killed because they were seen as a threat to the government. This was a really scary time for a lot of people in the Philippines.

Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos lasted for 14 years, until 1986. In 1986, there was a peaceful revolution called the People Power Revolution, where people came together to demand that the government change. The revolution eventually led to Marcos being forced to step down from power and the end of martial law.

So, to sum it up, martial law under Ferdinand Marcos was when the government in the Philippines became very powerful and controlling, and people's rights were taken away. Many people were scared and there were a lot of human rights abuses. But eventually, people came together to demand change, and martial law ended.