During the first week of February 1971, military forces of the Marcos administration forced their way inside the UP Diliman campus to dismantle the barricades built by the students who joined the protest of jeepney drivers who were on strike. The students refused to retreat. Together with faculty members, staff, and other members of the UP Diliman community, they fought against the invasion of military forces in the campus. The Diliman Commune was proclaimed as expression of opposition to the oppressive Marcos government. They stood by the barricades for nine days in order to protect the freedom of the University.

On September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law and the country suffered under the claws of a dictator. In UP Diliman, some faculty members were arrested and imprisoned, activists’ organizations were forbidden, and the youth movement was forcibly disrupted. An enforced silence was imposed on the university. Life went on but the silence did not last long. The students courageously continued their fight until the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, was overthrown.