Old Laws Still Enforced

As well, any decrees or proclamations issued by Marcos under martial law remain in force. This includes "Arrest, Search and Seizure Orders," by which Marcos can detain anyone he wants, without charges or trial. He also retains the right to legislate by decree.

Parliament, the Interim National Assembly, is a fraud. It has few powers and is under Marcos' total control. The elections to the Parliament were rigged.

One peasant woman summed up the feelings of many when she told me that "even if nobody in our barrio (village) votes, the ballot boxes would still be full".