It was 4 a.m. when his father roused him from sleep. It was September 21, 1972, a Saturday. There were no classes but before he could even raise a protest he was ordered to dress up. His old man wanted his children and everybody in their 11th Avenue house to accompany him to the nearby Bahay na Puti in Cubao where the country’s well-known opposition leaders awaited them. The discussion centered on A-1 information that martial law has been declared. His father’s men, some of them Philippine Constabulary troopers, were armed to the teeth. So were the bodyguards of politicians in the meeting. Ironically, their presence only exuded an atmosphere of fear.

Laguna Rep. Edgar San Luis recalled this first day of martial law when his father, the well-loved Laguna Gov. Felicisimo San Luis, shook him from sleep. He was 17 then.

Militant Reps. Liza Maza of Gabriela and Rafael Mariano were likewise teenaged kids then. Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Lakas-Kampi, Cebu) was 15 and also had a vivid a recollection of that dreaded day. So was Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, who celebrated his 10th birthday a day before martial law was declared.

San Luis was enjoying his youthful existence. He wore his hair long which was a fad then. He dated some of the prettiest girls in Metro Manila and partied late nights. But that morning of September 21, everything changed. As his father and Liberal Party stalwarts headed by Senator Gerardo Roxas intently discussed what action to take, he knew then that happy days may be over.

Now a congressman, the younger San Luis reminisced the martial law years. But unlike most of Filipinos who lived during those times, Cong. Egay saw some positive outcome of the Marcos-style military rule.

“Everybody followed the law. Disiplinado lahat ng Filipino noon, walang nag-aaway. Nawalang parang bula ang mga drug pushers. Corruption was almost zero and bureaucratic red tape gone,” he recalled.

Alas, these were all gone after three years or so of martial rule. San Luis blamed Marcos cronies and military generals for government excesses. The President was helpless as he had to pay a debt of gratitude for their loyalty.

An unwilling politician, San Luis saw the martial law experience as among the reasons why he entered politics. Minus political and media repression, the Philippines was the scene of progress and discipline. With political will on the part of government and maturity on the part of Filipinos, there can be a reprise of the same scenario in this country.

However, instead of learning from the good lessons of military rule, the governments that followed took by heart the sins of the regime – corruption, apathy, and greed.

Probably, because St. Theresa’s College Cebu was an exclusive all-girls school, run by conservative and apolitical Belgian nuns that we were really not affected,” said Rep. Soon-Ruiz about her recollection of martial law.

Like San Luis, the Cebuana lawmaker believed not all was wrong about martial law.

“At the onset, I admired President Marcos. Para sa ika-uunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan. And I could see the discipline among our people,” she said.

“To take a ride, people would line up and wait for their turn. No spitting and no urinating just anywhere. The community was clean and safe. Crime rates were very low and when I would go to Manila on vacations, I would go to Luneta where it was so pleasant and cheap.”

But it was after Ninoy Aquino’s murder that Soon-Ruiz had a change of heart as far as Marcos is concerned.

“Now, I was older. I was almost a doctor. Then I realized that Marcos was no longer the Marcos who had an iron hand to discipline people. The Marcos now was greedy and would imprison and kill people who do not agree with him,” she added.

Asked if they foresee a time when martial law will be declared again, the respondents in these interviews were positive in declaring the same thoughts: “Never again.”