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Before 'Rolex
12,' there was 'Omega 5'
12,' there was 'Omega 5' MANILA, Philippines -- Martial Law is generally believed to have been a one-man undertaking, but Ferdinand Marcos himself revealed that he consulted with certain people--initially referred to as the "12 apostles"--before he signed Proclamation No. 1081 on Sept. 21, 1972.
The details of the plan to declare martial law were contained in Oplan Sagittarius, a document that identified the units involved in its implementation, as well as the targets for military takeover, such as airports, oil depots and the mass media.
Marcos named the two civilians and 10 top officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in a speech delivered in 1974 and published in the Official Gazette.
The military officers were AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Espino; Maj. Gen. Rafael Zagala, Army commanding general; Maj. Gen. Fidel Ramos, chief of the Philippine Constabulary (PC) ; Maj. Gen. Jose Rancudo, Air Force chief; Adm. Hilario Ruiz, Navy flag officer in command; Maj. Gen. Fabian Ver; Brig. Gen. (then Col.) Ignacio Paz, chief of intelligence, the Joint General Staff; Brig. Gen. Tomas Diaz of the 1st PC Zone; Brig. Gen. (then Col.) Alfredo Montoya, Metropolitan Command chief; Col. Romeo Gatan, provincial PC commander of Rizal and special projects officer.
The civilians were Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile and businessman and Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco.
These closest advisers of Marcos were later called the "Rolex 12." (The story goes that each of the men received a Rolex watch from Marcos himself. This was later denied repeatedly, but the name is still used to refer to the group.)
'7 wise men'
In the Official Gazette report, Marcos said he met with the 12 men "repeatedly, in all-night sessions at Pangarap, Malacañang Park," five or seven days before the actual proclamation."
But according to a general interviewed by National College of Public Administration and Governance dean Alex Brillantes Jr., and quoted in his book, "Dictatorship and Martial Law: Philippine Authoritarianism in 1972," six of the 12 knew of Marcos' decision to impose martial law two months before the actual proclamation.
Referred to as the "seven wise men" by Marcos' civilian aides in Malacañang, the group--Marcos himself, Enrile, Ver, Diaz, Montoya, Gatan and Cojuangco--met in early July 1972 at the Pangarap rest house after a party held to celebrate the promotion of some military officers.
Per Brillantes' account: Marcos disclosed his plan to use his emergency powers and told Enrile to "plan this out."
The group left the rest house and moved to the Presidential Command's headquarters, where Enrile assigned the tasks to those present.
Montoya was to implement the declaration of martial law in Metro Manila, Diaz was to direct its implementation in the First PC Zone, and Ver was to handle the "conclave in Malacañang."
One of the generals noticed Ramos' absence and asked Ver why he was not included, given that he was a Marcos relative.
Ver replied: "I really don't know. ... That's how the President decides these things."
Brillantes said Enrile admitted later in an interview that it was he "who dictated the drafts [of Presidential Proclamation No. 1081-'Proclaiming a State of Martial Law in the Philippines"], but that the President corrected them."
Enrile also reportedly said Cojuangco was involved because "he was the political leader trusted by the President to supervise the Central Luzon area."
Another general interviewed by Brillantes said Cojuangco was involved "because he had contact with, and knew how to handle, [Sen. Benigno "Ninoy"] Aquino."
Ninoy Aquino, who was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983, was Marcos' archenemy. His wife, former President Corazon Aquino, is a cousin of Cojuangco's.
'Omega 5'
But of the Rolex 12, there were the "Omega 5," Tomas Diaz told the Inquirer Thursday.
Diaz, apparently the lone survivor of Omega 5, said this secret group (which supposedly included Ver) helped craft the decrees leading to Proclamation 1081 even before the Rolex 12 finalized the strongman's plan.
A native of Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Diaz said the Rolex 12 met in 1972 to implement what the Omega 5 had planned as early as 1970.
Having been a member of the two groups, he said he had both a Rolex and an Omega watch.
"Marcos was a very detailed man. He started preparing in 1970," Diaz said in a phone interview.
He said that at the time of the Omega 5 meetings, he was PC provincial commander of Tarlac, a hotbed of insurgency and Ninoy Aquino's home province.
During the Rolex 12 meetings in 1972, he said, he was already commander of the 1st PC Zone, which had jurisdiction over Tarlac, Pampanga and other provinces in Central Luzon.
He retired in 1978 as deputy PC chief.
'About midnight'
It was Montoya who recommended that the declaration be made at "about midnight," when most of the radio and TV stations would be off the air.
If martial law was to be declared during the day, Montoya had an alternate plan of blowing up all transmitter stations to cut off communication.
Of the "12 apostles," only Rancudo opposed the plan to declare martial law--a fight that he continued until his death on April 14, 1987.
Enrile stayed on as Marcos' defense secretary (later minister) until their breakup in February 1986.
During martial law, Enrile, Cojuangco and Maria Clara Lobregat formed what militant farmers called the triumvirate for the implementation of Marcos' coconut levies.
Enrile is now a member of the administration bloc in the Senate.
Where are they now?
When Marcos fled in 1986 to Hawaii, where he died on Sept. 28, 1989, Cojuangco and family went with him.
In November 1989, Cojuangco ended his self-exile and came back in a private aircraft. Today, he is back as board chair of San Miguel Corp., the country's largest firm, which he once controlled.
He also chairs the central committee of the Nationalist People's Coalition.
Ramos joined Enrile in seizing the AFP headquarters in February 1986 and both were hailed heroes of Edsa 1.
President Corazon Aquino appointed Ramos in 1986 as AFP chief of staff. In 1988, he became defense secretary.
He was responsible for blocking six coup attempts against the Aquino administration.
He served as President in 1992-1998. He is now chair emeritus of the ruling party, Lakas-CMD.
Ver was one of the most feared and powerful men during Marcos' iron rule. He was held responsible by human rights groups for the imprisonment, torture and death of countless dissidents.
He fled to Hawaii along with the Marcoses.
He was charged by the majority members of the Agrava Fact-Finding Board as a principal in the double murder of Ninoy Aquino and Rolando Galman. But in late 1985, the Sandiganbayan acquitted him and other military respondents.
Ver was charged as an accomplice in a new trial ordered by the Supreme Court. But he was not tried in his absence and the case against him has been shelved.
He died on Nov. 21, 1998, in Bangkok.
Gatan, also among those believed involved in the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, has likewise died, along with Espino and Paz.
The details of the plan to declare martial law were contained in Oplan Sagittarius, a document that identified the units involved in its implementation, as well as the targets for military takeover, such as airports, oil depots and the mass media.
Marcos named the two civilians and 10 top officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in a speech delivered in 1974 and published in the Official Gazette.
The military officers were AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Espino; Maj. Gen. Rafael Zagala, Army commanding general; Maj. Gen. Fidel Ramos, chief of the Philippine Constabulary (PC) ; Maj. Gen. Jose Rancudo, Air Force chief; Adm. Hilario Ruiz, Navy flag officer in command; Maj. Gen. Fabian Ver; Brig. Gen. (then Col.) Ignacio Paz, chief of intelligence, the Joint General Staff; Brig. Gen. Tomas Diaz of the 1st PC Zone; Brig. Gen. (then Col.) Alfredo Montoya, Metropolitan Command chief; Col. Romeo Gatan, provincial PC commander of Rizal and special projects officer.
The civilians were Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile and businessman and Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco.
These closest advisers of Marcos were later called the "Rolex 12." (The story goes that each of the men received a Rolex watch from Marcos himself. This was later denied repeatedly, but the name is still used to refer to the group.)
'7 wise men'
In the Official Gazette report, Marcos said he met with the 12 men "repeatedly, in all-night sessions at Pangarap, Malacañang Park," five or seven days before the actual proclamation."
But according to a general interviewed by National College of Public Administration and Governance dean Alex Brillantes Jr., and quoted in his book, "Dictatorship and Martial Law: Philippine Authoritarianism in 1972," six of the 12 knew of Marcos' decision to impose martial law two months before the actual proclamation.
Referred to as the "seven wise men" by Marcos' civilian aides in Malacañang, the group--Marcos himself, Enrile, Ver, Diaz, Montoya, Gatan and Cojuangco--met in early July 1972 at the Pangarap rest house after a party held to celebrate the promotion of some military officers.
Per Brillantes' account: Marcos disclosed his plan to use his emergency powers and told Enrile to "plan this out."
The group left the rest house and moved to the Presidential Command's headquarters, where Enrile assigned the tasks to those present.
Montoya was to implement the declaration of martial law in Metro Manila, Diaz was to direct its implementation in the First PC Zone, and Ver was to handle the "conclave in Malacañang."
One of the generals noticed Ramos' absence and asked Ver why he was not included, given that he was a Marcos relative.
Ver replied: "I really don't know. ... That's how the President decides these things."
Brillantes said Enrile admitted later in an interview that it was he "who dictated the drafts [of Presidential Proclamation No. 1081-'Proclaiming a State of Martial Law in the Philippines"], but that the President corrected them."
Enrile also reportedly said Cojuangco was involved because "he was the political leader trusted by the President to supervise the Central Luzon area."
Another general interviewed by Brillantes said Cojuangco was involved "because he had contact with, and knew how to handle, [Sen. Benigno "Ninoy"] Aquino."
Ninoy Aquino, who was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983, was Marcos' archenemy. His wife, former President Corazon Aquino, is a cousin of Cojuangco's.
'Omega 5'
But of the Rolex 12, there were the "Omega 5," Tomas Diaz told the Inquirer Thursday.
Diaz, apparently the lone survivor of Omega 5, said this secret group (which supposedly included Ver) helped craft the decrees leading to Proclamation 1081 even before the Rolex 12 finalized the strongman's plan.
A native of Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Diaz said the Rolex 12 met in 1972 to implement what the Omega 5 had planned as early as 1970.
Having been a member of the two groups, he said he had both a Rolex and an Omega watch.
"Marcos was a very detailed man. He started preparing in 1970," Diaz said in a phone interview.
He said that at the time of the Omega 5 meetings, he was PC provincial commander of Tarlac, a hotbed of insurgency and Ninoy Aquino's home province.
During the Rolex 12 meetings in 1972, he said, he was already commander of the 1st PC Zone, which had jurisdiction over Tarlac, Pampanga and other provinces in Central Luzon.
He retired in 1978 as deputy PC chief.
'About midnight'
It was Montoya who recommended that the declaration be made at "about midnight," when most of the radio and TV stations would be off the air.
If martial law was to be declared during the day, Montoya had an alternate plan of blowing up all transmitter stations to cut off communication.
Of the "12 apostles," only Rancudo opposed the plan to declare martial law--a fight that he continued until his death on April 14, 1987.
Enrile stayed on as Marcos' defense secretary (later minister) until their breakup in February 1986.
During martial law, Enrile, Cojuangco and Maria Clara Lobregat formed what militant farmers called the triumvirate for the implementation of Marcos' coconut levies.
Enrile is now a member of the administration bloc in the Senate.
Where are they now?
When Marcos fled in 1986 to Hawaii, where he died on Sept. 28, 1989, Cojuangco and family went with him.
In November 1989, Cojuangco ended his self-exile and came back in a private aircraft. Today, he is back as board chair of San Miguel Corp., the country's largest firm, which he once controlled.
He also chairs the central committee of the Nationalist People's Coalition.
Ramos joined Enrile in seizing the AFP headquarters in February 1986 and both were hailed heroes of Edsa 1.
President Corazon Aquino appointed Ramos in 1986 as AFP chief of staff. In 1988, he became defense secretary.
He was responsible for blocking six coup attempts against the Aquino administration.
He served as President in 1992-1998. He is now chair emeritus of the ruling party, Lakas-CMD.
Ver was one of the most feared and powerful men during Marcos' iron rule. He was held responsible by human rights groups for the imprisonment, torture and death of countless dissidents.
He fled to Hawaii along with the Marcoses.
He was charged by the majority members of the Agrava Fact-Finding Board as a principal in the double murder of Ninoy Aquino and Rolando Galman. But in late 1985, the Sandiganbayan acquitted him and other military respondents.
Ver was charged as an accomplice in a new trial ordered by the Supreme Court. But he was not tried in his absence and the case against him has been shelved.
He died on Nov. 21, 1998, in Bangkok.
Gatan, also among those believed involved in the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, has likewise died, along with Espino and Paz.
Members of the "Rolex 12"
- Tomas Diaz, PMA-Cl '51 - Vice Chief of the Philippine Constabulary
- Juan Ponce Enrile - Minister of Defense
- Romeo Espino UP-ROTC - Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
- Romeo Gatan - Chief of the Philippine Constabulary in Rizal Province
- Alfredo Montoya, PMA Cl-'51 -Chief of the Philippine Constabulary Metropolitan Command (METROCOM)
- Ignacio Paz, PMA Cl-'51 - Chief of the Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP)
- Fidel V. Ramos, USMA Cl-'50; Honorary PMA Cl-51 -Chief of the Philippine Constabulary (PC)
- Jose Rancudo - Chief of the Philippine Air Force (PAF)
- Hilario Ruiz -Chief of the Philippine Navy (PN)
- Rafael Zagala -Chief of the Philippine Army (PA)
- Fabian Ver, Honorary-PMA Cl '51 - Chief of National Intelligence Security Authority (NISA) [1]
- Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, Jr., Honorary PMA Cl-'51 - present Chairman of San Miguel Corporation.
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