The hashtag #ActivismIsNotTerrorism could have been a minor title for the award-winning socio-political film “Duyan ng Magiting” by Dustin Celestino in the recent Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.
Director Celestino described the film (that was given an award for Best Ensemble Performance) as “ a symbol of our continued resistance” . It is about the corruption within the government system and the police. It was written at the height of red-tagging and extra-judicial killings (EJK) that provides a perspective on the socio-political climate in the Philippines.
It is an anthology of interwoven narratives on life and terrorism in the country following a college professor, university chancellor, social worker, police chief, lawyer, two mothers, and two students.
It revolves around the journey of a young activist student named Jose, who was detained as a suspect for the church bombing.
“We have been through some of the darkest moments in our country’s history, but in this darkness we would also like to remind everyone that there is still beauty to be found; there is beauty in courage held in the face of overwhelming odds, there is beauty in the collective effort of artists to ennoble the Filipino experience, and there is beauty in our continued survival and resistance”, Celestino said in his speech.
For the third time in the history of the Cinemalaya, an acting award is given to an ensemble for the film’s powerful cast of well-respected and veteran actors: Dolly de Leon, Bituin Escalante, Agot Isidro, Miggy Jimenez, Jojit Lorenzo, Frances Makil-Ignacio, Paolo O’Hara, Joel Saracho, and Dylan Ray Talon.
In 2012, the best actress award was given in the Director’s showcase to an ensemble—Judy Ann Santos, Iza Calzado, Agot Isidro, and Janice de Belen of Mga Mumunting Lihim. The Tribu cast grabbed the best actor award also as an ensemble in New Breed in 2007.
The film was also awarded Special Jury Prize for “its trenchant portrait of the wages of political violence, for its highly discursive and dialectical take on the culture of impunity that seems to have entrenched itself in Philippine politics, and for arousing among audiences awareness on the need to come to grips with the country’s escalating political violence.”
As a lawyer myself, I told Bituin Escalante that she played well for her evocative role of Atty. Emy Gonzales, a lawyer who used to hold idealistic views but has become pragmatic over the years.
“She’s had so many years of fighting for all the right things, only to realize that this never did her country any good. She then starts doing things for herself. A lot of us are like that. We get so disillusioned that all the decision-making we have now only pertains to ourselves,” Escalante said in an interview.
The movie touched on the issue of red-tagging which is a pernicious practice as part of the government’s counterinsurgency efforts that targets individuals or organizations critical or not fully supportive of the actions of a sitting administration.
This includes publicly accusing activists, journalists, politicians, and organizations as either communists or terrorists or both, regardless of their actual political beliefs or affiliations.
Civil society groups working on human rights issues have been demonized and vilified under the Duterte administration and reported increased surveillance, intimidation, threats, and other acts of harassment by the authorities.
On 3 July 2020, President Duterte signed into law the “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020” which human rights groups criticized for containing dangerous provisions further undermining human rights in the country.
“It is a story of what our country recently went through and the recognition of the victims’ experiences,” says Dolly de Leon who portrays a social worker tasked to assist the detained students.
A good friend Redentor Constantino said in his column : “There are no easy conclusions in this movie, where Martin Luther King is paraphrased numerous times to frame many of its chapters. Yes, only in darkness can one see the stars, but when the stars are veiled, how can you overcome darkness with more darkness?”
Celestino stressed in his speech: “May our film remind us all not just of the darkness around us, but also of the remaining light – the remaining love, passion, and hope – within us all.”
The film centered on student activism which unfortunately has been sweepingly associated with terrorism.
The campus has taught us the vision of service to the people; molded us to fight for the causes we believe in; trained us for the skills we need to communicate ideas and rally others to effect changes in society.
One needs to see the world from a different perspective, not to be complacent to submit to the status quo, and not to be afraid to be critical.
Let us continue to live by the ideals that bound us together.
Let us celebrate activism.
(Peyups is the moniker of University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.)
