Abraham Sarmiento Jr., 27 yrs Old

also known as Ditto Sarmiento (June 5, 1950 – November 11, 1977) was a Filipino student journalist who gained prominence as an early and visible critic of the martial law government of President Ferdinand Marcos. As editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian, Sarmiento melded the University of the Philippines student newspaper into an independent though solitary voice against martial law rule at a time when the mass media was under the control of the Marcos government. His subsequent seven-month imprisonment by the military impaired his health and contributed to his premature death.

After his release, Sarmiento, Jr. re-enrolled at the University of the Philippines and tried to keep a low profile.  However, his asthma had been aggravated by his detention, and he would regularly endure painful and severe attacks. A little over a year after his release, the 27-year old Sarmiento, Jr. was found dead on his bedroom floor after suffering a heart attack.

Two weeks after Sarmiento, Jr.’s death, the Collegian published an issue where emblazoned on the cover were the words “Para sa iyo, Ditto Sarmiento, sa iyong paglilingkod sa mag-aaral at sambayanan.” (“To you, Ditto Sarmiento, for your service to the studentry and the Filipino people.”) The cover also featured an outline of the U.P. Oblation with its right hand raised in a fist, having broken free from chains.  The University would award a posthumous degree to Sarmiento, Jr.

After Sarmiento, Jr.’s death, his father intensified his participation in the political opposition against the Marcos government, and would himself be detained in 1979 after publishing a book critical of the Marcos regime. After the ouster of the Marcos government, Abraham Sarmiento would be appointed to the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

In 1992, Sarmiento, Jr. was listed as among “65 Martyrs” who were enshrined in the Wall of Remembrance at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, a monument to victims and heroes of martial law located at Quezon Avenue in Quezon City

Juan Luna, 42 Yrs Old

(October 23, 1857 — December 7, 1899) was a Ilocano Filipino painter and a political activist of the Philippine Revolution during the 1800s. He became one of the first recognized Philippine artist and he painted in the manner of the Spanish and French Academy during his time. He painted literary with historical scenes and his works dealt with politics, harmony and theatrical poses. He was appreciated for his confident and forceful brushwork.

In 1883 Luna started the painting demanded of him by the Ayuntamiento. In May 1884, he shipped the large canvas of the Spoliarium to Madrid for the year’s Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes. He was the first recipient of the three gold medals awarded in the exhibition and Luna gained recognition among the connoisseurs and art critics present. On June 25, 1884, Filipino and Spanish nobles organized an event celebrating Luna’s win in the exhibition. That evening, Rizal prepared a speech for his friend, addressing the two significant things of his art work, which included the glorification of genius and the grandeur of his artistic skills.

Luna developed a friendly relationship with the King of Spain and was later commissioned by the Spanish Senate to paint a large canvas which was called the La Batalla de Lepanto (The Battle of Lepanto). He moved to Paris in 1885 where he opened his own studio and befriended Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo. A year after, he finished the piece El Pacto de Sangre (The Blood Compact) in accordance with the agreement he had with the Ayuntamiento of Manila. Depicted in this piece was the blood compact ceremony between the native chieftain Datu Sikatuna and the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. It is displayed in the Malacañang Palace. He also sent two other paintings in addition to the one required; the second canvas sent to Manila was a portrait of Don Miguel López de Legazpi reconstructed by Luna from his recollection of López de Legazpi’s portrait he saw in the hall of the Cabildo, and the third was of Governor-general Ramón Blanco y Erenas.

In 1887, Luna once again traveled back to Spain to enter in that year’s Exposition two of his pieces, the La Batalla de Lepanto and Rendición de Granada (Surrender of Granada), which both won in the exhibition. He celebrated his triumph with his friends in Madrid with Graciano Lopez-Jaena delivered Luna a congratulatory speech. Luna’s paintings are generally described as being vigorous and dramatic. With its elements of Romanticism, his style shows the influence of Delacroix, Rembrandt, and Daumier.

On December 8, 1886, Luna married Maria de la Paz Pardo de Tavera a sister of his friend Felix and Trinidad Pardo de Tavera. The couple traveled to Venice and Rome and settled in Paris. They had one son, whom they named Andrés, and a daughter who died in infancy. Luna was fond of painting his wife. Unfortunately, an occurrence tragically ended their married life. The jealous Luna frequently accused Paz of having an affair with a certain Monsieur Dussaq. Finally in a fit of jealousy, he killed his wife and mother-in-law and wounded his brother-in-law, Felix, on September 23, 1892. He was arrested and murder charges were filed against him. On February 8, 1893 he was acquitted and was ordered to pay the Pardo de Taveras a sum of one thousand six hundred fifty one francs and eighty three cents, and an additional twenty five francs for postage, in addition to the interest of damages. After his acquittal, Luna, with his brother Antonio Luna and his son Andrés went to Madrid.

Spoliarium painted by Juan Luna

In 1891 Luna moved back to the Philippines and traveled to Japan in 1896, returning during the Philippine Revolution of the Cry of Balintawak. Unfortunately, on September 16, 1896, he and his brother Antonio Luna were arrested by Spanish authorities for being involved with the Katipunan rebel army. Despite his imprisonment, Luna was still able to produce a work of art which he gave to a priest’s visit. He was pardoned by the Spanish courts on May 27, 1897 and was released from prison and he traveled back to Spain. In 1898, he was appointed by the executive board of the Philippine revolutionary government as a member of the Paris delegation which was working for the diplomatic recognition of the República Filipina (Philippine Republic). In 1899, upon the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1898), Luna was named a member of the delegation to Washington to press for the recognition of the Philippine government.

He traveled back to the Philippines in December 1899 upon hearing of the death of his brother Antonio who was in Hong Kong in exile. On December 7, 1899, Luna suffered a heart attack and died there. His remains were buried in Hong Kong and in 1920 were exhumed and kept in Andrés Luna’s house, to be later transferred to a niche at the Crypt Chapel of San Agustin in the Philippines. Five years later, Juan would be reinstated as a world renowned artist and Peuple et Rois, his last major work, was acclaimed the best entry to the Universal Exposition of St. Louis in the United States. Unfortunately some of his paintings were destroyed by fire in World War II.