Wilson, John Orville M.

GED0107
Section-15 05/02/24

1. In your logical analysis, why is martial law the greatest dominance of state over society?
Explain by giving three logical analyses.
● Martial law allows power to be concentrated and facilitated by the military powers and
government officials. This enables them to avoid judicial procedures and gives the
executive branch the ability to impose laws and regulations without the consent of courts
or judicial powers. This can turn out to be a form of dictatorship as the decision-making
is handled by a concentrated or small group of officials.
● Martial law restricts civilians of their limited freedom and liberties given to them. A good
example for this is during Marcos’ regime, authorities imposed the rule of having curfews
and limited freedom of speech. This enables arrests to commonly happen even without a
warrant as the authority during that time emphasizes its power over their own society and
people.
● Martial law weakens a society by interfering with economical, social and political
activities to keep the peace. Military forces are sent out to enforce power and control
which then intimidates civil society and movements that aspire to fight back against the
government. This poses a great threat to those who intend on banding together and
starting a protest against the state’s power and governmental activities.

2 . Explain what is being undermined when President Marcos centralized the power of the
state under one man. In your explanation, identify three reasons.
● The centralization of Marcos’ power weakened checks and balances within the state and
government all by compromising democratic principles.
● Since the power is concentrated in one person only, democratic principles like diversity
and rule of law are undermined and compromised.
● The centralized authority of Marcos restricted transparency and accountability in all
government activities resulting in corruption and dictatorship in the Philippine
government.

3. Create a logical connection between martial law and the politicization of the military. Do
not give me a phrase, explain your answer in sentences.
● To keep the ordinance in societies, martial law regulated the involvement of military
power and presence because the armed forces are aligned with the political agenda of
Marcos’ methods and way of leadership. Eventually, the military’s apolitical views are
easily compromised by the politicization of Marcos, potentially threatening it institutional
integrity and transparency.
4. Why is the Philippine state considered a predatory state during the martial law regime?
● Most people saw the Philippines as a predatory state during Marcos’ time because of
several issues pertaining to corruption. Initially, Marcos prioritized his power over the
wellbeing and greater good of the Filipino people to strengthen his power using
centralized and concentrated power to diminish the people from interfering and starting to
protest against his rule of law. Secondly, corruption ensued during his regime with the
government over-utilizing its power to enrich itself and provide benefits or privileges to
loyal Marcos partners and supporters including his family. Lastly, the government’s
predatory actions were shown by exploiting its natural resources and economic measures
in the favor of the elite and wealthy, therefore leaving the other Filipinos struggling in
poverty.

5. Martial law facilitated the capture of the state. How does the capturing of the state affect
the people and the society in general? Give at least three explanations.
● The capturing of the state during martial law weakens civil liberties creating fear and
intimidation in Filipinos towards Marcos and the military forces.
● Increased corruption is what characterized the whole Marcos regime. By prioritizing
natural resources and economic enrichment towards the wealthy and neglecting the
wellbeing of the broader Filipino populations specifically the poverty.
● Capture of state worsens social conflicts and division by imposing divisive methods
leading to discrimination and resistance within the society and population.

6. Based on the information and ideas given by the author, identify three social issues and
three political issues brought by martial law.

Social issues:
● Psychological trauma: The amount and level of fear that martial law has inflicted on the
Filipino people and its societies may impose long-lasting psychological effects and
trauma that could possibly be passed down to following generations who weren’t present
during the martial law regime.
● Displacement: People may flee due to the violence and oppression brought by martial
law. It forces communities to relocate to other places therefore undermining the society.
● Human rights violations: Martial law resulted in the abusement and exploitation of the
society’s human rights and liberties. Many Filipinos suffered extrajudicial killings, torture
and detention as the government abused its power.

Political issues:
● Authoritarianism: Martial law concentrated its power in the hands of the wealthy and
elite, undermining institutions and fostering authoritarian tendencies.
 ● Democratic norms: Martial law halted democratic norms such as the freedom of speech,
the press and rule of law. Therefore, diminishing democracy and balanced governance.
● Political Repression and Censorship: The government's crackdown on political dissent
and media censorship during martial law suppresses political opposition, silences critical
voices, and restricts public access to information, impeding political discourse and
accountability.

7. Why should the military remain apolitical? Explain the rationale.

● In my opinion, maintaining democracy depends on the military's apolitical posture, which
guarantees that the armed forces impartially support the government that the people have
elected. The military keeps its cohesion and unity, which are necessary for efficient
operations, by being impartial. Maintaining civilian command over the armed forces
helps to preserve democratic institutions and uphold the idea of popular sovereignty.
Additionally, politically impartial armed forces improve a country's standing abroad by
encouraging mutual respect and collaboration.