Cebuano Martial Law survivor tells Filipinos: ‘Don’t ever stop fighting’

CEBU, Philippines – Detained twice and tortured during the Martial Law years, retired Cebuano judge Kit Enriquez, 71, still wants the Filipino people to continue the fight for justice.

Enriquez was born and raised in the Queen City of the South, Cebu City, on January 29, 1952. His mother was a resident of Cebu City, while his father was from the City of Danao, in the northern part of Cebu.

Before becoming a judge of the 9th Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Boljoon-Alcoy, Cebu, Enriquez was an active member of student groups such as the Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan in the early 1970s and was one of the first student activists to lead demonstrations against tuition fee hikes and unfair university policies in the 1960s.

On September 23, 1972, he recalled he woke up to the news that the late tyrant Ferdinand E. Marcos had declared Martial Law: “Radio, TV, and newspapers were closed except for one, which was the Philippine Daily Express…. At 6 o’clock, Marcos made his speech and said the people should be at home because there was a curfew.”

Before the Martial Law declaration, Enriquez was already expelled from the University of the Southern Philippines due to his participation in student-led rallies. He transferred to the University of Cebu, but colleges and universities were mostly closed during Martial Law, so there was almost no hope for him to continue his studies.

In October 1972, Enriquez hid from state forces in the mountains of Danao City in his home province. Enriquez shared that he went down from the mountains to see his father, who was ill at the time and admitted to the Cebu Doctor’s Hospital. He recalled his father even begged him to surrender but he refused. 

Upon leaving his father at the hospital, Enriquez noticed that there were people following him. In November 1972, he was captured near Barangay Basak in Cebu City.

While in captivity, Enriquez was tortured like any other Martial Law victim: “They tortured me. Electrocution, kulata (beatings), water torture, you name it.”

According to him, “activism” was written on the charges dealt to him on the roster of detainees at Camp Sergio Osmeña, where he was held. “Activism isn’t a crime,” Enriquez said. 

After his release, Enriquez wanted to go back to school but was rejected by many universities until he got accepted at Southwestern University. However, this was only for a short time as he was arrested again in 1974. He remained behind bars for three years.

Despite this, Enriquez was still able to finish his studies and land a job at PepsiCo, Incorporated. 

Supporting the fight

At the onset of the protest movement in Cebu in the early ’80s, Enriquez assisted young activists, supporting the fight in his own way: “There were transport strikes, so classes would be canceled. I was assigned by Pepsi-Cola in the province, so I would pass by students walking home from the rallies and offer them a ride.”

Later on, Enriquez witnessed the spark of the revolution, seeing groups of people from different walks of life converge at Fuente Osmeña Boulevard to protest against the administration.

Fast forward to 2022: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s victory in the May 2022 polls shattered a portion of Enriquez’s heart. It made him feel like the deaths of his comrades were in vain.

“These people allowed themselves to be deluded by Marcos’ lies, they believed in the propaganda…. It’s these politicos who are after their own ambitions who are at fault,” Enriquez said.

But the retired judge is still hopeful: “Do not be discouraged. Continue your good work and spread the message to all the others who continue to be deluded. Continue the fight…. Don’t ever stop fighting.”

Kabataan Partylist Cebu Chairperson Kyle Enero tells the people to never forget the victims of Martial Law and to continue the fight for justice. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/rfqH1WMtKE

— John Sitchon (@TheJohnSitchon) February 24, 2023

Present day

Fear is a common feeling shared by many young activists today who continue the fight for justice, especially on the 37th commemoration of the People Power Revolution.

For Kyle Enero, chairperson of the Cebu chapter of the Kabataan Partylist and a red-tagging victim, young activists should continue protesting and taking to the streets.

“I know too well that such attacks are meant to silence me and create an atmosphere of fear so that corrupt, greedy, and oppressive elites like Marcos Jr. and Duterte can stay in power,” Enero said.

Enero was among the many youth leaders who participated in the People Power commemoration rally held in downtown Cebu City on Friday, February 24.

He has been a student activist since 2018, joining environmental advocacy campaigns, including rallies against the Carbon Market demolition. He even took part in the community work with the urban poor of Cebu.

“Drawing lessons from the past is so important. Because the Marcos Sr. dictatorship showed us that there is indeed a prevailing rotten system, but there is also a way for people [to] effect change through collective action,” Enero told Rappler.

In his speech during Friday’s rally, Enero brought up the names of those who were abducted, tortured, and killed during the Martial Law era and the previous Duterte administration. 

Among them is Chad Booc, a community teacher of Lumad students who was killed in a military encounter in Davao de Oro. Booc’s death, according to Enero, was a sad reminder and a threat “meant to weaken the people’s growing resistance.”

Enero said that his resolve, like any other political activist, draws from learning of the plight of workers, urban poor, indigenous people, middle-class professionals, and students.

“Until there is justice for all, for those who died fighting for democracy and for those who continue to suffer under a rotten political and economic system, our quest to attain lasting peace continues.” – Rappler.com