"Let's go, Serafin." "Go ahead." "I'll be behind you." "You've been this way lately." "Sitting around listlessly." "When do you plan to start?" "Everyone in the village has tilled their land." "When do you intend to get started?" "Your land is the last one left unplowed." "Does Angel Maranan work here?" "Her wake is ongoing." "The assassination of Angel Maranan is another manifestation of the rotten state of things, where society's important members are made to sacrifice, while the corrupt elements are holding sway." "When are we going to take action?" "Let's not be intimidated." "Let's not be indifferent." "Justice for Angel Maranan!" " Justice!" "Let's not be afraid, and not allow this to happen to our society!" "Will we let this go on?" " No!" "Shall we neglect taking action?" " No!" "What do we need to do?" "Act now!" "Seek justice!" "It was a professional hit!" " Pity what happened to Angel." "Her head is in pieces." "It's the congressman!" "Congressman!" "Congressman, how are you?" "Good evening to you all!" "My condolences to you." "Condolences." "Don't worry." "We will find a way to arrest those responsible for her death." "Rest assured, I won't rest until..." "Excuse me." "Just a moment." "And no criminal has been punished for the murder of media men." "What have you done in the meantime?" "And what is your basis for claiming no one has been punished for these murders?" "Records of human rights groups." "Obviously they harbor a big prejudice against politicians." "That's common perception." "They have a preconceived idea against us." "Always the villains." "What are you standing there for?" "Were you a friend of Angel Maranan's?" "Yes." "Why do you want to know?" "You were really a friend of hers?" "Well, it so happens I'm from Nueva Ecija." "Well, that's all." "I just learned what happened to her, and wanted to pay my respects." "My condolences." "Wait a minute, mister..." "Did you know Angel?" "Sorry, no..." "You say you're from Nueva Ecija." " Yes." "Are you her relative?" "You came all the way from Nueva Ecija?" "Do you know that Angel was from Nueva Ecija?" "I used to follow her stories." "Where?" "The paper?" " In her column." "Why are you here in Manila?" "What are you doing here?" "I'm just visiting." " What for?" "That's my name..." "Elvira Camandero." "And those are the numbers where you can call me." "I'm a reporter." "A friend of Angel's." "What's your name again?" "Serafin, miss." "Bye, Serafin." "Idol, some coffee?" "No, no." "A favor, please." " What, you need a ride?" "No, no." "Come here." " What's up?" "Do you see that guy over there?" " Yes." "Where's your camera?" " In the van." "Take a footage of him, okay?" "Do it in secret, okay?" " Is that all?" "This is Elvira again." "Yes, I'm okay." "I just keep replaying the man's footage." "The footage of Ferdie of Channel 2." "Because, when he approached me, it seemed that he wanted to say something." "I was just out of focus, because I was too depressed," "I was about to break down." "My attitude was angry." "Pissed." "I wanted to punch his face." "It was really he who approached me." "Yes..." "But he was hesitating." "He thought twice." "And backed out." "He got intimidated." "My fault, really." "I asked him uncomfortable questions." "I just gave him my calling card." "For subtle connection." "Police?" "You mean place him on blotter?" "I thought of that, too." "Part of the footage would have been for investigators." "But having said that, he seemed okay." "Yes, of course I got his name." "Serafin Geronimo." "From Nueva Ecija, according to him." "Typical provincial." "Very respectful, though he is obviously older than I am." "He looks honest." "I just feel this man has something important to reveal." "It's a wasted chance." "I should have befriended him, instead." "Thank you, my beloved editor." "Where are you going?" "Guimba." "Where are we now?" "We just left the station." "Where are you really going?" "Brother, I'm getting off." "What font?" "Use the old one." "So what?" "Your article made me tear up." "Good God, my heart aches." "So are we going to drink?" " Yes." "But wait, I'm talking with someone." "We've just buried Angel." "Others are still keeping a wake." "Shouldn't we be drowning our sorrows?" "It's an old appointment." "Anyway, I'll catch up with you." "A typhoon is looming again." "There will be floods again for sure." "Serafin, you're all wet." "Ponzo!" " Serafin, what happened?" "The typhoon is getting stronger." "Our foundations are shaking." "Maybe, we can weather the storm here with you." " Well, it's best you should." "Can you lend me a hand?" " Okay." "Go ahead." "We will follow." "Let's go, Bela." " Serafin, let's go." "Hurry." "Serafin, quick." "Faster." "Forget it, Serafin." "We'll just build a new house." "Forget about it." " Let's go." "Where are we going?" "There." "That restaurant." "It looks full." "I don't like crowded places." "Okay." "Let's look for another place." "Cabbie, let's try another." "Where do you live in Nueva Ecija?" "In a small village." "Angel was from Cabanatuan." "You know, I interviewed someone from there, in Gapan." "Have you been to Gapan?" "Ka Gener, too." "Leader of the revolutionaries." "A Communist." "I featured him in one of my articles." "I'm not from the town." "I'm just a farmer." "Well, it's not important." "I interviewed him at the house of a councilor, there." "How's life in your village?" "We are mostly poor." "There are a few more affluent ones." "More affluent?" "What kind?" "Farm lords?" "Politicians?" "Businessmen?" "Land-owners?" "Yes, all those." "They have money." "Huge houses." "All powerful." "That way." "That way." "Looks delicious." "Help yourself, okay?" "Here's some rice." "It's quite good." "This place is good, isn't it?" "The music is a letdown, though." "Not my type." "Hey." "You look like you have a hard time eating." "My tooth." "Are you treating it?" "No." "I have medication that might help." "Tranquilizers?" "No." "This is nothing." "I just don't want particles of food to get into the cavity." "Once again, I offer you my everlasting love" "It's drizzling." "Are you sure you don't want to come inside?" "The singing is just heating up." "It's okay." "We are just enjoying the cool air." "What's that?" "Tape recorder." "Is it okay with you?" "No." "Ballpen and notebook then." "Is that okay with you?" "Were you really a friend of Angel Maranan's?" "I don't know if you will believe me, but Angel was one of my best friends, one of my buddies." "She was my senior by just 3 years, but she was my idol." "She was a good writer." "Had no fear writing investigative reports." "It's good you read her column." "And..." "I brought proof of it." "That was us." "Here are my works." "Here, look at this." "Here." "These are our names." "It was a sensational kidnapping case." "At first, she worked alone on it." "But later on, it got bigger, and I assisted her." "Eventually, we were credited as co-writers." "That's an unsolved case." "Mysterious." "The kidnappers self-destructed." "We're not too sure what happened, if they killed each other." "Or got killed." "But one day they all just turned up dead and burned." "Even their kidnap victims." "No one's sure what really happened." "Investigators couldn't give a conclusive report." "This is my article that came out today." "This is my name." "Does that convince you now?" "I know it's a little forward of me, but I hope you can trust me." "We journalists have a code of ethics." "What's confidential is confidential." "Nothing you will say will implicate you." "You are under my charge." "Does this have anything to do with the death of Angel?" "No." " So what's the big secret then?" "I intended to reveal this to Angel, but now she's dead." "So what was it you meant to tell Angel?" "This kidnapping case that Angel wrote about..." "And?" "I was one of the kidnappers." "Are you serious?" "Is it painful?" "Why don't you have it looked at?" "I know a good dentist." "Don't worry about it." "What's your plan now?" "I don't know." "I just wanted to tell someone" "how I got involved." "Then perhaps surrender." "If anything happens to me, at least someone knows the truth." "You are the only one who knows about this." "Serafin, come." "Hey, Serafin." "What's wrong?" "The rain is too strong." "I was looking then for a source of living, to sustain my wife's treatments." "Break time!" "Hold off there." "Take a rest." "Easy, Serafin." "There are no martyrs here." "It would be your own funeral if you get sick." "Cousin, let's eat." "Miguel, I don't think I can do it." "Quiet Serafin." "There's no turning back." "Or they turn against us." "Don't cross Sarge." "What now?" "Do we find you a replacement?" "My conscience is nagging me." "Think about your ailing wife." "You don't need to look for work abroad." "It's right here." "That's why I recommended you to Sarge, because of your situation." "Now you are compromising me." "Money." "Just money, cousin." "What if we something goes wrong?" " Well don't think about it, or you'd really get cold feet." "If you don't make it, we will be in real trouble." "I thought Sarge was a close relative." "There are no relatives in a case like this." "I'll be the one to talk to him then." "I'm telling you Serafin." "They are going to butcher you." "How did you get into the group?" "Miguel is a distant relative on my mother's side." "He got me a job at a construction site." "I even stayed at their house in San Andres Bukid." "Sarge would drop by often." "He is Miguel's cousin on his father's side." "Sarge was fond of me." "Like a relative, too." "He even loaned me money for my wife's medicine." "That's Sergeant Emilito Garcres." "Was Miguel also a Garces?" "Yes, that's right." "Who else?" "Who else was in the group?" "There was another police man." "Quentin Valera." "And an AWOL soldier, Antonio Valbuena." "Is that true?" "Quentin Valera and Antonio Valbuena were with the group?" "Yes." "Why are you surprised?" "Nothing." "Who else was with you?" "Marieta..." "I don't know her last name." "Marieta Morato." "A police asset." "Sarge's mistress." "There were 2 others." "I only saw them during the "operations."" "I didn't get their names." "But they were in the papers." "I'm not too sure about their names." "Two other AWOL servicemen." "They were Sgt. Dionisio Peralta and Vergel Domondon." "Those were the ones identified with Sarge." "But the other two..." "Were there others?" "I don't know." "I saw others in the operation, but of all them," "I alone made it alive." "Just you?" "Yes." "Did Sarge not mention anyone else?" "A connection?" "Mastermind?" "Boss?" "Military?" "Politician?" "No one else?" "None." "I don't know." "He was very careful." "Silent." "All his moves, what he said, were calculated." "Cunning." "Wary." "He controlled everything." "This is where his family lives." "This is the gate to the mansion." "Johnny Lim's wife just gave birth." "The child is one-month old." "We will take mother and child." "I will furnish you their photographs, so you can study them." "This will be our only focus for now." "Day and night, Miguel and I took turns monitoring the Lims." "We kept at it for 2 weeks." "We learned by rote the comings and goings of the clan." "But Mrs. Lim never came out." "We sold sago-and-gulaman drinks." "Once they brought Mrs. Lim to the hospital." "After 2 days, she was brought home under guard." "Your sago is good." "Are you selling well?" "No." " Hi Momoy." " Good morning, ma'm." "How are you, Momoy?" " We kept track of Mrs. Lim's moves outside the house." "Do you know how to use one?" "I've held one, but I've never fired it." "Don't worry." "It's simple." "You just aim it, then pull the trigger." "Hold it this way, so you won't feel the recoil." "Keep handling it, so you get the hang of it." "How's your wife by the way?" "Let me know if you need more money." "After a few days, Sarge decided to go ahead." "We waited one week for the right opportunity." "But none came." "There was nearly a change of plans." "Why?" "I just overheard... that Quentin wanted another target." "Another Chinese target." "Or Johnny Lim himself." "What happened then?" "Sarge declined it." "The ransom he said would be bigger if it's the two Lims." "And the clan would be more afraid to notify the law." "Sarge's plan prevailed." "Sarge was patient." "The kidnap happened on the day of the child's baptism, right?" "That's it." "The signal!" "I will call you." "We two alone will talk." "Anyone else finds out, and I'll send their body parts to you piecemeal." "No, no." "Where did you bring them?" "In Bulacan." "At Sarge's fish pond?" " Yes." "Miguel and I and Marieta were tasked to guard mother and child, while Sarge and Mr. Lim negotiated in Manila." "Sarge and Quentin returned 4 days after they left us there." "Hey, Serafin, how is it going?" "They had a drinking session, and their talk turned into an argument." "Brother, I feel you are back to your old ways." "Your problem is, you keep bringing up the past." "That's over." "No sense dealing with you." "You have no word of honor." "You are muddling this." "Didn't I just assure you this time." "Make sure that things turn out like you said." "Miguel, come with me." "Serafin, I'm taking Miguel." "You and Marieta be wary." "Don't let anyone come sniffing around here." "Stay put until Miguel comes back." "You and Marieta take turns." "Keep the Lims under lock and key." "Marieta, what's keeping you?" "Here, added ammunition." "Are you leaving now?" "Don't worry, we'll take care of her." "I'll do my best to come on Fridays to bring her medicine." "Have you told her about your job?" "She asked me to go when she falls asleep." "Eat first then." " It's best I go." "Please check up on our hut once in a while." "Okay then." "Thank you, Loring." "Go now." "Cousin?" "Cousin?" "Come, come in." "You came at the right time." "How's Ella?" " She's getting worse." "Don't worry." "Come, come." "Sarge, here's the cousin I planned to get a job at the construction site." "His name's Serafin." "Is that so?" "How are you?" "Let's eat." " Thank you." "I've eaten." "Don't be shy." "Take a seat." "Eat, eat." " C'mon, cousin." "Don't be shy." "Some rice?" "After 3 days, Miguel came back." "Cousin, what's wrong?" "It's almost a whole day, and Miguel hasn't spoken to us." "Cousin, coffee?" " No thanks." "Cousin, what's the news?" "Missis?" " My baby's got a fever." "Just a moment." "The baby has a fever." "Take my place." "Quentin Valera and Antonio Balbuena were notorious extortionists and kidnappers, well-known members of The Dragon-Fly Gang." "I'll confirm them with the news archives including the exact dates." "As far as I can remember, on the 7th day of your operations the police found your gang's bodies in a place in Fairview, their tongues missing, their eyes gouged out, their bodies chopped up." "They looked like they were hacked with machetes." "Did you not know about it?" "Did Miguel not talk about it?" "He did." "Wait a minute." "Let's get this straight." "I'm tired of this brazen talk." "You don't want 40 %?" "You want a whole million going to you?" "That's our cut, brother." "Okay." "We're all friends here." "But after this operation, we best part ways." "So let's keep to our agreement, let's keep it clean." "You're a man of your word, right?" "Well, okay." "I'll give you your cut." "Good." "Good, brother." "Sarge?" " Here are the guys." "Good evening, Sarge." "We had to make a stop somewhere." "I was helpless, I had to follow orders." "We went straight to a safe house." "In Novaliches." "I thought they would just be taught a lesson." "Cousin, I was stunned." "And then, they were being slaughtered." "When they arrived, Vergel approached Quentin." "He suddenly smacked Quentin and Quentin fell to the floor." "Sarge came close, and said, I'm tired of your shenanigans." "Then he drew his gun, and fired at Quentin." "Place them on the table." "What are you waiting for?" "On the table!" "Now!" "Then the unthinkable happened." "A slaughter." "Sarge said, Throw them on the table!" "Then, he brought out a bolo." "He hacked at them without warning." "Blood spattered everywhere." "Their guts dangled out on their pants." "Their abdomens were ripped open." "Their entrails and organs were pulled out." "Then they were let go." "They were let go." "They were gathering their own guts in their hands" "They were trying to put their guts back into their abdomens." "They wanted to die." "And they died like pigs." "Then we disposed of their bodies." "Are you alright, cousin?" "I knew Sarge was capable of that, but nothing prepared me for it..." "Hey, Serafin!" "Come here!" "Go to the pharmacy." "Ask what's good for a child's fever." "Buy a stock of it." "Don't let Sarge know." "Tell that to Miguel." "Go." "Go now!" "Thoughts raced through my mind." "I almost wanted to inform." "I almost wanted to escape." "She will be fine soon." "We were there for 2 weeks when Sarge arrived with his group." "Come, come with me now." "The usual." "How about you?" "That woke me up." "Rock-'n'-roll." "Do you want anything to eat?" "Tell your husband, I'm beginning to get tired." "You refuse to do so?" "Do it now!" "I wont!" "You still refuse?" "I'll do you in!" "[Chinese]" "After 2 days, Sarge and his men left at dawn with Miguel." "Marieta." "Prepare the Lims." "We have to leave now." "Where is Sarge?" "Get the two!" "Cousin, we have to leave." "Why?" "Sarge's company was identified." "We went straight to Bicol." "This was another of Sarge's houses, according to Miguel." "Come in, come in." "Lay her down there." "Cousin, coffee?" "Where's Marieta?" "Asleep." "The Lims too." "How were they recognized?" "A friend of Quentin's confessed." "Were we mentioned?" "No." "They don't know us." "We're not on the list." "What now?" " What do you mean?" "The money." "I don't know." "What is Sarge's plan?" "None." "He just ordered us to move here." "What if..." " What?" "I'm just afraid." "They might get caught." "We, too." "Trust to luck." "Push has come to shove." "How long do we stay put?" " I don't know." "Too many questions." "What if I go home for now?" "Estella might be getting worried." "Shut up for a moment!" "It's you who forced me into this." "I did this for you and Ella's sake." "What's the problem?" "None." "Almost 3 weeks passed in Bicol, when the 3 arrived." "They rested all day long." "In the afternoon, we slaughtered a goat." "We feasted and had drinks in the evening." "There was no mention of what was happening in Manila." "Miguel, hand this to Serafin." "Brother, for us!" "Cousin, here, 50,000 pesos." "Take-home money for you." "We'll split up tomorrow." "Has the ransom gone down?" "No, not yet." "That's from Sarge's pocket." "Prepare your things now." "We're leaving." "Where do we go?" "I don't know." "But tomorrow, we have to go off separately." "Help Mrs. Lim." "She may not have the strength to walk." "It was close to midnight when it was decided that we leave." "Serafin." "Let's make up for this later." "Cousin, cousin, where are we really going?" "Don't ask too many questions." "Let's just obey orders." "No, Marieta." "After that..." " Wait, wait!" "Enough for now, please!" "This is making me dizzy." "I thought journalists had great fortitude." "We're only human, too." "Let's call it a day." "I'll continue the story tomorrow." "Give me a moment." "I'll calm down." "Can you bring me some water?" "A full pitcher." "Ice cold." "You take drugs?" "No, no." "Well, a little marijuana, before." "Go on with your story." "As soon as I disposed of the jeep into a river, I went home." "Good, the rain has let up." "How about the baby -- did it make it alive?" "No." "When do you intend to surrender?" "I know someone at CIG, he might be able to give you a safer custody." "I want us to see each other again and talk." "When?" "Tomorrow." "If you won't show up, I'll treat your story as just a bad dream." "No one will know your story." "I'll just contact you about the time of our meeting." "He's the new boarder." "Brother, let's have a drink." "I'm telling you, it's terrifying." "No, I can't spill it just yet." "Definitely, you'll be the first to know." "This is our scoop." "Give me a few days of leave." "Here's daddy." " Daddy, daddy!" " Shall we meet him?" "I'm right here." "You shouldn't be walking around." "Carefully." "I can't get to sleep." "I'll make you some milk." "Maybe later." "You should stop buying sleeping pills." "They are no longer working." "We should have the house fixed." "Are you listening?" "I said, maybe we should have the house fixed." "The walls and roof are ready to cave in." "For what?" "The rains are just around the corner." "This won't survive the storms." "The same disaster might happen to our house when we first came here." "Do you know what Cion told me today?" "What?" "She said, Our house is beautiful." "Your daughter, she has a different concept of beauty." "Not at all." "She sounds like an old soul." "She is the one with lots of advice." "It's me who has to listen." "Maybe she wants to become a nun." "No, she tells me she wants to be a teacher." "Make sure she finishes school." "Strengthen the roof with iron sheets." "Use double plywood for the walls." "There, there." " Yes, Mr. Ponzo." "Do you want to eat?" "Grandma, I'd like that." "Do you want me to blow on it and feed you?" "Grandma Bella, let her be the one." "We shouldn't spoil her." "Congressman Alvaro is inviting you for dinner." "He says he wants to set the record straight with you." "He says you harassed him at the wake of Angel." "What?" "I was within my rights to question him." "It was he who exploited Angel's wake." "And at the funeral, he was play-acting, pretending to cry whenever the cameras turned to him." "So, are you declining?" "You know what, I could slap that mug of his." "Your heart might not take it." "Don't joke around, please." "I'm just calming you down." "Cool it, okay?" "Just tell that congressman, I'll never give him the chance to have dinner with me." "I might just throw up in his plate." "I was afraid you wouldn't show up." "I thought it was an "electric shock" yet again." ""Electric shock?"" "You know, it's journalist's lingo, when you get a promising scoop, that turns into a false lead." "A bust, in short." "What's your plan from here?" "The child is alive." "What?" "The daughter of Johnny Lim, she's still alive." "You told me she's dead." "She's still alive." "The bullets missed her." "Are you being serious?" "Where is the child?" "With me." "The child is 3 years old by now." "You never gave a thought to her father?" "Her relatives?" "What happened to the child?" "What did you do to her?" "Please listen to me first." "I don't know if you will understand me." "Estella and I, we both got orphaned early." "Look, it's blood!" "Go away!" "Away!" "Away!" "Go away, you evil spirit!" "Serafin, a very strong spirit has taken hold of your wife." "Who is he?" "He is one of your wife's suitors." "He took a photograph of her and put it in a jar." "In that jar, there is a demon's insect." "Each time the insect bites the photo, your wife feels a pain." "I didn't tell Estella her true condition." "I bargained with God, again and again." "Once I dreamed..." "I was talking with God." "He told me Estella would get well." "Estella persuaded the doctor to tell her her real condition." "That she had only a year to live." "Estella was very brave." "She never ran out of hope." "As a result of hopelessness..." "When her condition worsened, I never gave up on her." "I sold my meager land for her medicine." "If only we were blessed with a child, I would never die." "I'd live for our child," "Bring it up." "Why don't we adopt?" "We can't." "Not to mention the legalities." "We would need money." "We wouldn't be able to take care of a child." "It wasn't in my plans to keep the child." "All along I wanted to surrender, leave the child at Mr. Lim's doorstep." "But I remembered Estella's wish." "Good god, Apeng!" "Ella, Apeng's here!" "Come." "Let's go home." "I have a surprise for you." "What's that?" "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you." "You'll see for yourself when we get home." "You've been away too long." "There was just a lot of work." "Did they bring you to the hospital at Cabanatuan?" "A couple of times." "The doctors asked about you." "Did you take your medicine without fail?" "That's our child." "That same night, we left." "I told Estella it was a legal adoption from an orphanage in Manila." "Apeng, come, quick!" "Come, smell the child." "She smells fragrant now." "Come to me, now." "Let me have a whiff." "You do smell good." "I have thought of a name for her," "Concepcion." "Good afternoon to you." "Where are you from?" "From Barrio Concepcion." "In Guimba." " That's a long way off." "We left there for good." "We're looking for a place to settle." "Chinky-eyed!" "Do you have Chinese blood?" "My wife watched Jackie Chan a lot during pregnancy." "Serafin, come." "The rice paddies promise a great harvest." "Your family has brought us great luck, especially Concepcion, that wonderful child." "Do you know that crops were once stunted here?" "They would get sparse graining." "Agriculturists did a lot of tests, prescribed all kinds of fertilizer, to no avail." "There was even a time they kept us from planting for a whole year." "We turned to crop rotation to rejuvenate the soil." "But now, look." "All it needed was Concepcion's laughter." "Just be patient with the land." "On the 7th year, I'll give you a portion of my land." "About 5 hectares, I promise." "Thank you." "The couple was a godsent to us." "They gave us a house to live." "They gave us a land to farm." "They were salt of the earth." "What did the doctors say?" "They were surprised by your recovery." "Am I well then?" "They'll evaluate your condition, then see if you need chemotheraphy." "Estella continued to get well." "I really thought it was God's miracle." "Serafin, you've had 3 harvests." "They were good ones -- no pests, too." "Hopefully, it's always this way." "Don't you want to expand your house?" "Maybe I shouldn't." "It would just be added expenses." "We need money." "Wait a minute." "Merciful god, what happened to you?" "That's only when Old Man Ponzo and his wife Bella learned about Ella's cancer." "For three days, Ella was in a coma." "Where's Cion?" " With Grandma Bella." "I can't bear it any longer." "Let's go home." "You shouldn't." "It's better here, you'll be looked after." "Let's go home." "You can't." "You're too hard-headed." "Let's go home." "That day, I brought Estella home." "It was over." "I felt her surrender." "She asked me to take her out of the house before her last breath." "Ella passed away, everything was like a bad dream." "I'll turn Concepcion over to you." "Return her to her family." "Can you do that?" "When?" "The day after tomorrow." "Where?" "Give your address to me." "Father, is it beautiful in Manila?" "Yes, it is." "Is that where we're going?" "Why does Grandma Bella say, it's smokey there?" "And a lot of children have no homes?" "Grandma's just kidding you." "Are there beautiful places there?" "Yes." " A lot of toys, too?" "Yes." " Yippee, a lot of toys." "I'd like that." "When you turn her over to her father, ask, on my behalf, for his forgiveness."