An Unforgettable Journey: Detention in Manila in 1972 and a Story of Survival Under the Shadow of Martial Law
An Unforgettable Journey:
Detention in Manila in 1972 and a Story of Survival Under the Shadow of Martial
Law
November 22, 1972, was
supposed to be a homecoming surprise, but it ultimately turned into a
weeks-long detention ordeal. This experience was not just a personal suffering;
it also reflected the social darkness of the Philippines during the Marcos
martial law era (1972-1981)—abuse of power under authoritarian rule, lack of
human rights, and the helplessness and struggle of ordinary people under
systemic oppression.
I. Sudden Change on
Homecoming: From Airport Interrogation to Detention on "Engineering
Island"
1. Terror at the Airport:
Identity Doubts Triggered by Passports
Filled with anticipation, I
returned to Manila, only to face intense questioning by immigration officers at
the airport. My inability to speak Filipino (only English) and
"contradictions" in my passport records immediately aroused
suspicion:
My first passport, issued
in 1955, had a visa signed by Carlos García, the then-Minister of Foreign
Affairs—a fact that officials found questionable;
My 1956 tourist visa for
Hong Kong (valid for only 3 months) had led to a 16-year overstay in Hong Kong
(1956-1972), violating the rule that "Filipinos may not stay abroad for
more than 3 months";
Frequent entry and exit
stamps from Taiwan in my old passport further deepened officials’ doubts about
my identity.
In the end, all my
passports were confiscated, and I was taken by three plainclothes detectives to
a place called "Engineering Island."
2. The Truth About
"Engineering Island": A "Waiting Room" in Name, an Open-Air
Detention Center in Reality
While "Engineering
Island" sounded like a professional facility, it was actually an open-air
detention site for people awaiting trial, known among Chinese detainees as the
"water prison":
Dire Conditions: In
scorching heat, detainees could only cool themselves by pouring water over
their bodies in the courtyard, wearing nothing but underwear; at night, swarms
of mosquitoes made sleep impossible.
Deprivation of Freedom: The
area was covered with cameras. Although the door was inscribed with the Chinese
characters "Give Us Back Our Freedom," this was nothing but a
mockery—guards openly lured detainees into gambling on "Sān Gōng" (a
traditional dice game) to cheat them out of all their money.
Collective Plight:
Detainees came from various countries, including South Koreans, Latin
Americans, and native Filipinos. With nothing to do, they could only pass the
hopeless days by chatting.
II. Surviving the Ordeal:
From Helpless Waiting to Family Rescue
1. Crying Out in Vain:
Desperate Days in Detention
The weeks on
"Engineering Island" were a time of utter helplessness: there was no
official notice of the detention period, no channel for appeal, and "no
one would listen, no matter how loud I cried out." My only hope was that
my family in Hong Kong would learn of my situation in time.
2. A Turn for the Better:
Intervention by Family and a Lawyer
Fortunately, my family in
Hong Kong learned of my predicament through my eldest brother in Manila, who
immediately arranged to visit the detention center with a lawyer:
Step 1: After the lawyer
intervened, he successfully applied for my release on parole, temporarily
freeing me from the "water prison."
Step 2: To comply with the
Foreign Ministry’s request for additional identification, I flew to Iloilo
City—my birthplace—to collect evidence from my mother, my birth attendant, and
relatives.
Step 3: Though my mother
was blind, she recognized me by my voice when I called her "Carding"
(my childhood nickname). After an emotional embrace, I obtained my birth
certificate with the help of relatives; my eldest brother Tang, who was then the
Mayor of Iloilo City, also issued a letter of introduction to confirm my place
of birth.
3. The Final Resolution:
Document Verification and Exit Approval
After returning to Manila
with all the required documents, I went through a lengthy legal process. The
Philippine government finally recognized my citizenship, stamped my passport
with "Returning Citizen," and approved my exit. On Christmas Day, I
finally flew back to Hong Kong, ending this ordeal.
III. Historical Context:
The Dark Truth of the Marcos Martial Law Era
My personal experience was
not an accident but a common reality under Marcos’ authoritarian rule. In 1972,
after Marcos issued the martial law decree, he launched a nine-year military
rule—an era known as the "darkest period in Philippine history":