DEADLINE, a film about media killings
A film on media killings and warlordism in the Philippines
SUMMARY
HENRY ROSALES, indefatigable reporter of the Philippine Sentinel and president of the crusading Philippine League of Journalists, is abducted and his corpse found along a provincial highway near Metro Manila. His death adds up to the series of media killings that would later earn for the Philippines the tag "most dangerous place in the world for journalists" – surpassing even war-torn Iraq.
It turns out that Gov. Muntazir Ghazi (fearfully called Gob) of the province of Abdul Rabb has masterminded his murder on account of his writeups about – what else, but media killings as they connect with warlordism in the country. What has completely incensed the Gob was Henry's attempt to zero in on him being the most powerful and scheming among the warlords -- which he is. A close ally of the Philippine president, he built his private army with the support of the national government
The Gob also learns that two journalists right in his regional turf have provided Henry with his nefarious record. He promptly orders the execution of Azad Sinan and Claire Pasilan, both of the Mindanao Weekly Herald. His men bungle the job and the two are able to grab another chance at life. He orders them hunted down. His minions do, crushing everyone who happens to be on their way. In the heat of the news, Henry's fiancée, the popular television journalist Greta Manarang, gets entangled with Metro Times Manila columnist Ross Rivera, an avowed defender of the establishment.
Henry's death causes an epiphany of sorts for Ross, leading him to gradually abandon his intransigence towards the progressives in the media. (He and Henry have become friends just before the latter's murder.) He finds himself doing a most unlikely job, that is, unmasking the murderers of Henry. Greta does not buy it.
Greta secures the assignment from her TV station to do an investigative report on the death of Henry. She goes to Abdul Rabb where she is upset to find Ross, also on a mission, though personal, to confirm the Gob's culpability in the death of Henry.
Meanwhile, Azad and Claire escape the wrath of the Gob one last time, but at the expense of the lives of their benefactors Wahid and James. They are also able to connect with Greta who brings them to safety – with a little help from Ross.
The Philippine League of Journalists presents Azad, Claire and Jehan (Azad's sister) in a press conference that gets bombed out by the Gob. Some fifty-one people, including Claire and thirty other journalists, are killed in the presscon bloodbath. Azad survives but loses an arm. Greta and Ross also survive. Evidence immediately surfaces assigning criminal responsibility to the Gob.
The president declares martial law in Abdul Rabb. The aim is to contain public outrage over the mass murders, and also to silence the Gob who could expose how the president and her party actually stole the election. In the ensuing police and military operation against the Abdul Rabb private army, the Gob and his henchmen are themselves massacred by state security forces to keep peace and order in the land. #
Labels: Deadline movie, film, journalists' killings
posted by rek @ 11:18 AM
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