Revelo 1

Kisha Revelo

Judith R. McCann

English 1301-129

16 October 2022

Ensuing Martial Law: Restoration of Faith in the Philippines

In the Pearl of the Orient Seas, the nation wherein the

people exercised their intangible right to voice their opinions,

only to be met with unimaginable consequences. Proclamation

No. 1081 was passed in the Philippines on September 21, 1972,

by former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, placing the entirety

of the country under Martial Law. Marcos and his military

possessed total power over the government and the people,

leading the lives of many individuals, who merely opposed his

agenda, to be threatened. It heightened the matter of life or

death, placing civilians in the face of human rights abuse, and the acts held no such limit or

exemption. Tens of thousands were detained, tortured, and even killed, but a distinct number of

lives lost remains a mystery today. Although Ferdinand E. Marcos’ Martial Law regime came to

an end in 1986, it seemingly served as a catalyst for succeeding presidents and their comparable

actions as different instances of Martial Law continued to be enforced in the Philippines. In

2017, Filipinos took a stand to combat former President Rodrigo Duterte who declared Martial

Law in Mindanao, the southern region of the country, causing widespread protests to erupt

throughout the Philippines. In this Martial Law Poster, Kim Yutuc implements placement and
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size, striking sayings, and profound symbolism to raise awareness of the detrimental actions of

presidents that have enforced Martial Law in the Philippines.

With much emphasis, the placement and size of the aspects in the poster develop an

overall context, alluding to a deeper message on the comparison between the two figures and the

group of individuals who are seemingly protesting. As if emerging from the darkness, the

distinctive figures of former presidents Ferdinand E. Marcos and Rodrigo Duterte are plastered

as the largest aspects of the image, immediately capturing the attention of the audience. Their

placement above the people implies the immeasurable power they held over the people. These

presidents and the government within their terms were deemed untouchable, and the ensuing

outcome of the enforcement of Martial Law was heavily reflected upon the people who were

directly affected by their actions. The size of the presidents’ figures is significantly greater in

comparison to the Lumads, human rights groups, and other activists who are placed below them.

Along with the particular placement of both aspects, the following insinuates how no matter how

vast the group of protesters may be, it cannot trump their level in society, draining the

effectiveness of their fight against Martial Law in the Philippines. In addition to the central

image of the poster, the #NeverAgain is presented with a larger font size compared to the

caption, showing its significance as a slogan in the series of protests against the Martial Law

regime. With these elements implemented together in the poster, the harmful aftermath of Martial

Law being imposed in the country is successfully presented, along with substantial reasoning as

to how it creates the foundation for the poster as a whole.

Within the poster, the texts are implemented to create a clearer context, providing

specifics on who was directly affected by the enforcement of Martial Law. In the history of

protests against the Martial Law regime, dating back from Marcos to Duterte’s own agenda
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targeted toward certain groups in Mindanao, the slogan #NeverAgain is continuously chanted

against the inhumane acts that promote the rise of a dictatorship in the Philippines. In the native

tongue of the Philippines, the saying “Biguin ang panunumbalik ng diktadurya!” directly

translates to “Stop the return of dictatorship!”. With the saying presented in the national language

Tagalog, the message is strengthened and comes across with a deeper sense of authenticity. Two

particular groups who were targeted by the former presidents, each of them respectively, are

shown with signs on hand that exclaim “DON’T BOMB LUMAD SCHOOLS” and “STOP THE

KILLINGS”. During the presidency term of Ferdinand E. Marcos, human rights violations swept

the country, leading individuals to protest the deaths of many youth activists, journalists, and

anyone who opposed Marcos’ agenda when he was in office. In the case of former president

Rodrigo Duterte, he imposed Martial Law in Mindanao, targeting the Lumads. The indigenous

community was on the other end of Duterte’s “counterinsurgency”, which involved him publicly

claiming he will have Lumad schools bombed. In a broader scope, the sign “NO TO ML”

provides evidence of the matter that is brought to light. Presented candidly, the texts grasp a

striking impact on the overall poster, conveying the reality of what these groups had to overcome

during the times of Martial Law in the Philippines.

Evidently, the focal point of the poster is the unique details that are involved in the

central image, which each entails the profound symbolism that contributes to the general

message. Almost instantly, the audience is drawn to the two former presidents, whose figures

reserve the most space in the poster. Both pairs of eyes are crossed out in white, possibly

representing how they turned a blind eye to the consequences of their actions. To this day, the

reality of Marcos and Duterte’s Martial Law regime remains inconceivable. Much of it was

underestimated and diminished by these presidents, similar to how they held immense control
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over what information circulated within the press, As they were presented as the highest figures

in the nation, the white shading that surrounded them from their shoulders can be seen as clouds.

Stemming from this idea, former presidents Marcos and Duterte are further proven to be placed

on a pedestal that implies the decisions they are making are for the greater good of the

Philippines and its people, painting them as “saviors”. Shifting the focus onto the groups of

people beneath the figures, the use of red flags undoubtedly captures the attention of the

audience. The term “red-tagging” continues to hold an unfortunate contingency today, as it

became a practice used by the government to combat human rights groups and activists who so

much oppose Duterte’s regime. The outcome of this approach reached the extent of being

tortured and killed, only increasing the count of people’s lives sacrificed in the fight against

Martial Law in the Philippines. Most prominently, the darkness beneath the group of protesters

casts a representation of a black void, gradually encompassing the crowd. The symbolism

provides a sense of urgency within the message, suggesting that the unfathomable reality of what

is presented in the poster is in dire need of awareness.

Overall, the state of the Philippines during these periods of Martial Law left an immense

influence on both the government and the nation’s people, encouraging more individuals to fight

for their human rights. The artist, Kim Yutuc, raised awareness of the actions of former

presidents that have imposed Martial Law in the Philippines through the use of placement and

size, striking sayings, and profound symbolism. Ideally, Martial Law should only be imposed in

times when a normally functioning democratic society and the government are greatly

threatened, and the security and safety of the nation and its people are at stake. With this Martial

Law poster, more individuals in the Philippines and worldwide possess a deeper understanding
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of the reality of how Martial Law was implemented and the devastating outcome that remains

engraved on the country’s history.

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Works Cited

Martial Law Poster. ArtStation, 6 Sept. 2019, https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lVnneJ

Palatino, Mong. “Protests Mark 50th Anniversary of Martial Law Declaration in the

Philippines.” Global Voices, 22 Sept. 2022,

https://globalvoices.org/2022/09/22/protests-mark-50th-anniversary-of-martial-law-declar

ation-in-the-philippines/.

“Philippines: End Deadly 'Red-Tagging' of Activists.” Human Rights Watch, 17 Jan. 2022,

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/01/17/philippines-end-deadly-red-tagging-activists.