MAYHAN E.

LAWAGON CBET-01-102A

REFLECTION
Watching the film "Martial Law" was a disturbing and unsettling experience. The horrific
and terrible events presented a terrible sight to watch, however they were also eye-opening. The
film is a harsh reminder of the horrors endured by people who opposed the government during
the Philippines' martial law period.

Initially, I assumed the film would be simple, as the professor assigned the main character,
Carlo, the assignment of interviewing someone who had lived through martial law. I was
expecting scenes of historical events. However, the film goes thoroughly into the abuses and
torture of that period, which I wasn't prepared for. Carlo interviews a former Colonel, who
appears as sick and crazy, claiming he was a soldier under the dictatorship.

The atmosphere in the Colonel's home immediately heightened my suspicions. Carlo was
struck unconscious and awoke strapped in the basement, making it evident that he was in
danger. Witnessing the torture and abuse was shocking and disturbing. Carlo, who had simply
come for an assignment, was confused by the Colonel's questioning concerning rebel activities.
This misunderstanding resulted in awful events for Carlo, and his best friend, Jace, was deceived
too and lured into the basement and endured the same fate. Both of them were beaten and
even electrocuted so that they would confess. However, they couldn't understand because they
had nothing to confess and hadn't done anything wrong.

Carlo's girlfriend, who was tricked into entering the basement, endured far worse. The
detailed account of their situation was unacceptable. In the end, Jace was murdered, and
despite the couple's escape and police report, justice was not served. The Colonel cleaned his
residence, leaving no evidence, and even falsely accused Jace of being a drug dealer in
President Duterte's drug campaign. The film's finale, in which the Colonel died and was buried in
the Libingan ng mga Bayani, was particularly infuriating because the victims were not given the
justice they deserved. He just died so suddenly but his victims were very traumatized and this
event would affect their life, they would remember it but couldn’t do anything as they don’t have
any evidence against the Colonel. To add that, he was also considered as a hero even if he did
those disgusting things.

The film made me understand the awful reality of martial law. It represented only a fraction
of the actual torture and abuse, but it did demonstrate the victims' helplessness. I'm sure there
are many innocent people were convicted only on at the will of those in power. The ending
emphasized the continuous unfairness, reflecting the real-life lack of responsibility for many
martial law victims. The victims never received justice, and many died without their stories being
told. It was infuriating to see the abuser honored while the victims were forgotten.

The movie showed the unfortunate reality that victims of martial law were never given the
justice they deserved. Their suffering serves as a devastating reminder of the period's cruelty, as
well as the importance of remembering and learning from this awful period in history.