FORGING conversations about the horrors of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs is one of the main goals of Shugo Praico as the director of the limited series “Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence.”
Helmed by KC Global Media at Rein Entertainment, the gripping six-episode series follows individuals whose lives were affected by Duterte’s war on drugs. The center of the story is Father Tom (Ian Veneracion), who is in charge of a holistic drug rehab program, but is hesitant to comply with authorities planning to take over the operations.
One of the highlights of episode one is Father Tom’s fatherly bond with Kiko Agustin (Harvey Bautista), a drug addict in hiding after his father (Romnick Sarmenta) was found dead in his home.
“There’s part of us as storytellers [to tell] the stories of the people that we heard. Ang mga characters na nandito represent ang mga tao [na dapat ikwento] not only sa Pilipinas but also globally,” Praico said in an advanced screening event.
“It’s a critical period in our history. It’s a story na hindi dapat natin makalimutan and dapat marinig ng ating kababayan,” he continued.
Political relevance
The series is especially relevant in today’s political landscape in the face of Duterte’s incarceration at The Hague following the arrest implemented by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity due to the alleged extrajudicial killings committed during his administration.
The drug war shook not only the country but the world for its violence as much as the allegations that the killings were state-sanctioned, a claim that the former president’s allies had tried so much to deny.
Veneracion, who stood as the series’ moral and emotional core, said he made an effort to be part of the project and did his best to rearrange his schedule to set aside time for filming.
Since “Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence” is about a critical period of the Duterte regime, Veneracion pointed out that the series doesn’t intend to “solve problems and give answers.”
“We are here to point out different perspectives — that is our intention. We want to show different perspectives through these characters on how to fix the drug problem, whether it’s to rehabilitate or punish them,” he said.
Agreeing with Veneracion, Praico hopes the series will foster open conversations among the public.
“Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence” also stars Jane Oineza, Yayo Aguila, Joem Bascon, Ryan Eigenmann, and Gabby Padilla.Each episode lasts for an hour, though further details on the release date and platform have yet to be announced. (Hannah Mallorca © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
