Horror of the Philippines' drug war
Summary
TLDRThe Manila nightshift photographers document the grim reality of the Philippines' drug war, capturing the aftermath of killings and the struggles of the families left behind. Amidst a rising death toll, they face the challenge of maintaining public interest and seeking truth in a society where the drug war remains popular despite the collateral damage. The emotional and physical toll on the photographers is palpable as they grapple with the ethical dilemma of their work and the impact on the victims' families.
Takeaways
- 🕗 The script opens at a peculiar hour and setting, just before midnight in the Manila police station press room, highlighting the unusual work conditions of the night shift photographers.
- 🔍 The photographers are depicted as having a tight-knit community, sharing tips and support amidst the grim task of documenting the ongoing drug war in the Philippines.
- 🚨 The narrative focuses on the relentless nature of the drug war, with killings continuing unabated, and the difficulty of tracking the stories of the over 7,000 victims since the previous summer.
- 🏆 Raffy Lerma is introduced as a leader among the photographers, emphasizing the personal toll and commitment to documenting the truth despite the risks.
- 😷 The script describes the modus operandi of the killers, who often mask their identities and leave signs labeling the victims as 'pusher' or 'addict', adding to the complexity of the situation.
- 🚔 It discusses the official stance of the police, who are ordered to arrest suspects rather than engage in extrajudicial killings, yet the violence continues.
- 📸 The photographers' role in seeking truth is underscored, as they scrutinize police claims and evidence at crime scenes, challenging the narratives provided by authorities.
- 🏚️ The economic hardship faced by the victims' families is highlighted, with one family resorting to gambling to raise funds for a funeral, illustrating the ripple effects of the drug war.
- 🙏 The involvement of Brother June, who doubles as a photographer and church worker, is noted for his efforts in providing both financial and legal support to affected families.
- 🗣️ The script presents contrasting views on the drug war, including those of President Duterte's legal adviser, who dismisses the killings as 'collateral damage', and the public's complex response.
- 🌆 The narrative concludes with the ongoing cycle of death and the photographers' relentless pursuit of truth, despite the emotional and psychological toll.
Q & A
What is the unusual setting where some photographers take their breaks?
-The unusual setting is the press room of the Manila police station, where photographers on the night shift try to get some rest.
Who is Ravi Lerma and what role does he play in the story?
-Ravi Lerma is depicted as a leader among the photographers covering the drug war in the Philippines. He is concerned about the ongoing killings and the importance of documenting them.
What is the significance of the 'snooze bar' mentioned in the script?
-The 'snooze bar' is a metaphorical reference to the temporary respite the photographers get during their work, highlighting the relentless nature of the drug war and their continuous coverage.
How does the script describe the situation of the drug war in the Philippines?
-The script describes the drug war as a grim and ongoing situation with thousands of people killed, including innocent victims, and a lack of accountability for the murders.
What is the term 'shabu' referred to in the script, and how is it connected to the drug war?
-Shabu is a colloquial term for methamphetamine, a drug that is central to the drug war in the Philippines. It is often mentioned as being found on victims, suggesting their involvement in the drug trade.
What is the role of Brother June in the narrative?
-Brother June is a photographer who also works with the church, providing support to families affected by the drug war, including raising funds for funerals and offering legal help.
Why are the families of the victims struggling to pay for funerals?
-The families are struggling financially, and many resort to fundraising through gambling to cover the costs of funerals, which are a significant burden for them.
What is the significance of the overcrowded cemetery mentioned in the script?
-The overcrowded cemetery symbolizes the sheer number of victims of the drug war, with many families unable to afford long-term burial plots, reflecting the social and economic impact of the conflict.
How do the photographers cope with the traumatic nature of their work?
-The photographers have developed a ritual of having a meal together after a long day to process and cope with the traumatic experiences they witness.
What is the script's portrayal of the public's perception of President Duterte's drug war?
-The script suggests that despite the violence and the loss of life, President Duterte's drug war remains popular among the public, with many feeling safer due to the crackdown on drugs.
How does the script end, and what does it imply about the ongoing situation?
-The script ends with the photographers continuing their work, suggesting that the cycle of violence and death is ongoing, and the quest for truth and justice in the Philippines continues.
Outlines
🔍 The Grim Reality of Manila's Night Shift Photographers
This paragraph delves into the unsettling routine of night shift photographers in Manila, who document the grim aftermath of the drug war. Set against the backdrop of the Manila police station's press room, these photographers find themselves in a constant state of alert, capturing the stories of victims amidst a backdrop of violence and fear. The narrative introduces Ravi Lorma, a leader among these photographers, who grapples with the moral weight of documenting over seven thousand deaths. The paragraph also touches on the challenges of reporting in an environment where official narratives often conflict with the stark realities captured by the photographers, and where the true perpetrators behind many of these killings remain elusive.
💰 The Financial Struggles of Grieving Families Amidst the Drug War
Paragraph two shifts focus to the economic hardships faced by families of drug war victims. It tells the story of Christina, whose family must raise funds for her funeral—a common plight for many families who cannot afford the costs associated with burials. The narrative introduces Brother June, a photographer who doubles as a lifeline for these families, using his church connections to raise money for Christina's funeral. The paragraph also explores the broader implications of the drug war, including the chilling reality that many families are afraid to seek justice for their lost loved ones, fearing retribution or further violence. It also touches on the public's mixed feelings towards the drug war, with some viewing it as a necessary 'cleansing', despite the human cost.
🕯️ The Burial of Christina and the Ongoing Struggle for Justice
This paragraph continues the story of Christina's family as they finally lay her to rest in an overcrowded cemetery, a common final destination for many drug war victims. It highlights the logistical and emotional challenges faced by families during burials, including the limited time they can afford to keep their loved ones' remains in the cemetery. The narrative also returns to the experiences of the night shift photographers, emphasizing their commitment to documenting these events despite the emotional toll. The paragraph introduces a new case, that of a 16-year-old boy named RJ, whose abduction and murder further underscores the senseless violence and the摄影师s' ongoing quest for truth and justice.
🍽️ Rituals of Resilience: Coping with the Trauma of Documenting Death
The final paragraph provides a glimpse into the rituals that the night shift photographers have developed to cope with the trauma of their work. It describes a meal shared among the photographers as a form of therapy and a way to process the horrors they witness nightly. The narrative also touches on the broader implications of their work, suggesting that their documentation is crucial for keeping the public informed about the realities of the drug war. The paragraph concludes with a poignant image of the photographers preparing to face another night, emphasizing their role as witnesses to history and their commitment to seeking truth amidst the chaos.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Drug War
💡Extrajudicial Killings
💡Masked Men
💡Pusher
💡Addict
💡Narco-state
💡Collateral Damages
💡Over-Pour
💡Shabu
💡Grieving Families
💡Photojournalists
Highlights
The press room of the Manila police station serves as an unusual sleeping area for photographers on the night shift.
Murders are a constant threat, and the photographers have to watch each other's backs due to the dangerous environment.
Ravi Lerma is identified as a leader among the photographers, feeling the weight of the ongoing killings.
Over seven thousand people have been killed in the Philippines drug war since the previous summer.
The Philippine president's promise to stop drug use to prevent the nation from becoming a narco-state led to a wave of killings.
Killings are often carried out by masked individuals, sometimes police, sometimes thugs, with victims labeled as pushers or addicts.
Official orders direct police to arrest suspects, but violence continues unabated.
The difficulty in tracking the real number of deaths as newspapers and official updates become less frequent.
The case of Christina, a victim whose family struggles to make ends meet and faces the harsh reality of the drug war.
Families of victims are sometimes forced to resort to gambling to raise funds for funerals.
Brother June, a photographer, doubles as a lifeline for families, raising money for funerals through his church.
The lack of legal follow-up and fear among families to pursue cases, leaving many deaths without answers.
The drug war's impact on low-level users and the poor, with a noticeable absence of drug lords as victims.
Despite the drug war, President Duterte remains wildly popular, with many citizens feeling safer.
The overcrowded cemeteries filled with drug war victims, where families lease burial compartments for a limited time.
The emotional toll on the photographers, who develop rituals to cope with the constant exposure to death.
The discovery of a 16-year-old's body, abducted and killed, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the drug war.
Families sometimes fear funeral homes extorting them, seeking the presence of photographers as a deterrent.
The importance of the photographers' role in bearing witness and potentially providing some accountability.
Transcripts
[Music]
five minutes before 12:00 midnight
it's a weird soundtrack to snooze bar
and it's a weird place to sleep
the press room of the manila police
station and the photographer's on the
night shift who need a lot more rest
than they're about to get their
[Laughter]
competitors who share tips or share cars
watch each other's backs okay they have
to because the murders keep happening
and people
it may not available
get lost it was this next victim yeah if
the pack has a leader the leader is Ravi
lerma you begin to feel that sometimes
there's no more killings in the past
week for so many days maybe this is
stopping right then this happens again
it's been hard hunting down the stories
of the more than seven thousand people
killed in the Phillipines drug war since
last summer worse he says though would
be to look away I don't want that day to
happen when everyone loses interest
you see yeah when the Philippines
president made that promise arguing his
nation could become a narco-state if
drug use isn't stopped masked man
sometimes police sometimes just thugs
started killing with abandon
murderers who suffocated their victims
by wrapping their heads in tape often
writing pusher or addict on signs left
with the bodies when corrupt cops were
exposed for some of these killings the
offensive was put on hold but it's back
official orders to police are to try to
just arrest suspects but the blood still
flows
[Music]
and it sometimes looks like this and
sounds like stunned silence a drive-by
shooting by masked men police quick to
say they happen to find a packet of
shabu or meth on the victim
Vincent go as much a regular as Raffi
he says you hear the claim often of
finding drugs maybe it's true maybe it's
not anybody ever held to account for
these murders until now no no that's the
sad thing about it do you think that the
deaths are still being counted properly
or no no I think people lost count of
the killings right now real numbers are
suddenly hard to come by newspapers that
once diligently tracked the deaths don't
seem to anymore an official updates on
cases are rare
there certainly isn't much news on a
death Vince can't shake is following up
on this night and this one is Christina
Christina had Jules death she was shot
she was slumped on the chair his photo
of the moment is hard to take
during things like this everybody seems
to be afraid to talk they should have
seen it seen everything but they refuse
to come to the media by the time he and
the other photographers got to the scene
police had already announced they'd
found traces of shabu on Christina
another man nearby was shot ten times
she was hit twice while sitting eating
watermelon her last meal and nobody's
talking so it's really hard to was the
real target it's really hard to say who
was the real target of the shooting
add the absence of answers to the
family's pain here at awake the
photographers keep an eye on a lot of
families Christina's is a real concern
like most of the grieving from the drug
war they struggled to make ends meet
which explains this in full view of the
coffin strangers mostly not really
mourners it's been gambling for days and
nights keep most of the winnings
Kristina's family gets a small cut for
many of the poorest families this is the
only way to pay for the view so here's
the really sad math on this in order to
get her body back Chrissie cos father
had to pay the funeral home up front
about $700 that's money he really didn't
have all this fundraising from the
gambling is supposed to pay for it but
the best they seem to be able to do is
about $10 a day see that interment
notice the date has been left blank
because until there's money for the
funeral the family couldn't book one and
she's already been dead a few weeks
this is where one particular
photographer is a lifeline brother June
they call it he does double duty also
working with the church he takes on a
lot doesn't go they take on a lot and
you usually see him asleep in decided
car because he has duties during the
morning in the church duties and and I
still goes out with us when brother
Joon's colleagues on the night shift
explained Cristina's case the
congregation at his church raised the
rest of the money for the funeral he's
here to deliver it now they can bury her
he's also offering legal help but the
family doesn't want they're afraid
because they don't notice the people
they don't don't what's the motivation
are they gonna file a case do you think
they want to forget everything so there
may never be answers about Christina's
death
back at the police station brother
Joon's brief chance to sleep for the
other photographers it's a moment to
really look carefully at their pictures
the closer the shot they say the bigger
the clues they always seem to find mommy
police say this man was killed because
he pulled that gun but look at the man's
wrist in Rafi's picture it looks like
Goff works it just looks unbelievable
how do you pull a gun if your hands are
cuffed seeing the photo it's hardly a
unique image in this drug war flipped
through their files in the same scenario
pops up at scene after scene and there's
a lot of blood on the hands both hands
actually both hands but look at the gun
it's clean when you look at this that
suggests what to you it raises a lot of
questions who's telling the truth this
drug war needs more understanding
lacking
pushers kill them no we are you much
look at them as humans but Raffi and
Vince and the others can't always make
people feel what they feel certainly not
those in charge
[Music]
this is Salvador Pennell president do
today's legal adviser in the middle of a
live radio interview hi there I'm Adrian
ursa no do you worry about Filipinos
waking up to see an image like that he's
seen the pictures of Cristina and the
others but isn't ready to be outraged
but no relatives will even admit that if
that woman was involved in drugs never
know where I'd meet that so we don't
know whether it's a memory of the
syndicate who did it what you hear from
them is that over-pour we're in sell but
that's not true
you don't sound terribly compassionate
to people who might be poor and innocent
I mean wise I think there may be people
who have been a pale officer in the
process in other words those are
collateral damages everything they're
shooting each other that's suddenly a
passerby in unison one poor one dies I
don't think you can blame that to the
police he speaks with the confidence of
a man who is sure president to tear day
and his drug war remain wildly popular
no matter what questions get asked
[Music]
and in the big picture he's right
it's interesting because this drug war
doesn't seem to be killing the drug
lords but low level users the poor who
live in these densely populated
neighborhoods maybe someone's killing
them to keep them quiet so you might
think these places would be full of rage
about Duterte but they're not his
popularity is overwhelming people talk a
feeling safer now even right down there
at Christina's way on the day of
Christina's funeral even the woman
cooking for the mourners talks about the
drug war as a type of cleaning house
[Music]
natural wood is it better now yeah yeah
yeah even if you are going her midnight
no people will have with you no no no
people no Harris man no I know so it's
better his his drug wars made it better
for you oh yeah yeah several weeks since
they lost her Christina's family is
finally able to bury her
where they head to is an overcrowded
Cemetery crammed now with the victims of
the drug war it's a friends
families colliding crushed for space
it's hard to eke out time for rituals
here they'll lease the burial
compartment for just five years after
that they'll have to pay yearly to keep
her body here many can't afford to
Christina's cousin Bernice can't seem to
take this all I wish that all that
killed not here because she's so funny
girl she's nice and she's kind for us it
is blazing dizzyingly hot for all the
mourners and those photographers
[Music]
when we come back they're about to
embark on a night that will rattle them
will rattle everyone careful the Manila
nightshift photographers may be used to
what they see but not everyone is
[Music]
finding the location of this next body
isn't easy Rafi is perplexed as everyone
else and really he doesn't have to be
doing this are you technically still on
leave yeah after the funeral I gave them
photos but I didn't put my name on it
his worried bosses have told him to get
off the Nightbeat but he can't shake the
feeling he has a responsibility to be a
witness even when it means a moment like
this
arriving at a scene that's hard to make
out at first there's just a tiny clump
on the ground near the garbage yeah he
was made to kneel he was made to kneel
yeah they shot in the head you said you
think he's just 16
yeah the family's over there and they
said that they were searching for him
for five days already then the brown guy
he said they heard a shot here and
that's why they found him that 16 year
old RJ so Dow had been abducted by
masked men who were really looking for
his brother his parents heard nothing
about him until this night
so now they're taking the body to the
funeral parlor and the family's gonna
follow
[Music]
all the silence of the night gone after
holding themselves so tight somehow deep
down thinking maybe it wasn't him they
suddenly caught a glimpse of his face
that funeral home it's strange those
worried parents had already been here
earlier in the day had given the manager
a photo of RJ in case his body appeared
this was him if your impulse is to think
the cameras have no business being here
consider some families beg the
photographer's to stay close think maybe
their presence their questions will stop
funeral homes from extorting victims
families as disgusting as that sounds it
happens a lot blindingly obvious thing
to say perhaps but it is a lot of death
to absorb all night almost every night
in the name of staying sane the
photographers have developed a ritual
after a long day
a meal together to close out most nights
because who can just go home without
working through all they've just seen
it's a few minutes before 5:00 a.m.
maybe this looks like nonchalance it's
not it's there every day and their
trauma sneaks in like fatigue because
many of the photojournalist we've been
covering this earth I could remember
what photographers during this scene
crime scene in the rail tracks when he
was recovering he was pardon my but he
was a he was repeating that for about 45
minutes they sat there as much about
therapy as that needed meal brother Jun
is in a hurry there are already families
waiting for him at the church Vince had
to skip the meal altogether his commute
is just too long the street sweepers are
already out usually they're the last
ones to spot the bodies from the night
before and send in tips but if they're
out thank you no one has heard anything
then it's over for all of them for a few
hours anyway if the world is to get the
truth about death and the Philippines
now it will get it from that
the manila morning rush-hour is right on
schedule time to move to get ahead of
the living in the name of chasing the
death
Adrian Arsenal CBC News Manila
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