“His eyes following me like he was that scary Jesus in the hallway, saying I know what you’re doing.”
The persona’s sight of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. from the poem “Apo on the wall.”
Nation under the iron fist (The proclamation of martial law under Marcos administration)
The poem “Apo On The Wall” that is written by BJ Patino is the poem that remains in our minds after reading it. It is not only the vivid images, although that is there too – the green uniform, the colored breast plates, the “handguns, plaques, a sword, medals, a rifle.” It is that feeling of being watched, that sense of pressure, which struck deeply with us.
The description of Apo, the father’s boss, “looking over his shoulders” made us feel like we were in the office, with that same scrutiny. It is the feeling of being judged, of not measuring up, that’s so powerful. The comparison to a “scary Jesus” in the hallway just made it worse, as We felt like we were under surveillance by something unseen, judging every move we made.
It’s more than just a photograph on the wall. It’s the legacy of authority, expectations of us placed upon us by those who were before us. It is the pressure to conform to be “snappy and all” even when it suffocates.
In conclusion, the poem affects how we differentiate the presentation of the past and the present. If during the martial law the military abuse their privilege and overpower the country for the past 9 years. In the present time, the people in our country have valued human rights and the law. The military and PNP in the present did not rule the country, but they served and protected the country as what they had promised and oaths. There is no single civilian that has been hurt or punished without disobedience of the law. The present have implemented peace and order.
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