It’s now more than 50 years since President Marcos imposed martial law in the Philippines with a televised martial law speech to the nation. Was it expected? Undoubtedly the prospect was considered. And elsewhere in the immediate region there was plenty of precedent.
That martial law speech marked the beginning of 14 years of military repression that only finished with the toppling of President Ferdinand Marcos in a 1986 people power revolt.
The Marcos speech, broadcast some two days after the imposition of martial law, comes from the archives of ABS-CBN television. That, of course, is the country’s leading private broadcaster. A broadcaster that came under the absolute control of the Marcos regime.
Martial Law Speech Released
The martial law speech was released by the Philippines Government to mark the 40th anniversary of the infamous broadcast in 1972. For many in the country there’s not much understanding let alone recollection of those dark days. The Government hopes that the speech will do much to explain the event, its context and the consequences.
In addition to the speech the Government has also released diaries written by Ferdinand Marcos. These are the diaries in which the President explained his thinking behind the declaration. And yes, there was some thinking.
Mr Marcos’s speech is given in English and he appears to be relaxed…all things considered. It’s a halting performance read from an autocue. But, despite the autocue, he still manages to stumble and hesitate with his speech. Perhaps that reflects the mood of the time. Confused and halting. And, perhaps, no time for autocue practice.
His televised martial law speech is a remarkable piece of history. Not least since it reflects some remarkable changes that have occurred in the intervening 50 years.
Re-discovering old speeches must be in fashion right now, because this President Marcos speech only just precedes the release of the Queen's Speech from 1983. An Armageddon belter of a speech that was never delivered.
Top Tips When You Use Autocue in Your Next Speech
Many conferences will offer you the chance to use autocue/ teleprompter. It's good for the organisers as it helps the speeches stick to their rigid time limits. But it's also good for the quality of the speeches. So when you have the chance to use autocue, take the opportunity.
- 1Make sure you rehearse fully before you get to the conference.
- 2Remember to practise the timing of your sentences and work the pauses.
- 3Listen out for stress and tone in your voice as you practise your speech.
- 4Be open to editing your material as you practise. And once you've edited…practise again!.
- 5You want to be fully familiar with your speech before you get to the conference.
- 6If you've practised fully, then your use of autocue/ teleprompter will be easy. You just have to read it in the same style as you practised. The same speed, the same pauses and the same intonation.
When you want your next speech to be something other than confused and halting you can always ask for some help. An online course or a public speaking skills refresher can give you the skills and confidence that you need for your next speech. You can choose a coaching session at your place of work, or one of more than 40 training centres. Please don’t hesitate to enquire further.
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