Aswang (2019)

Aswang: Directed by Alyx Ayn G. Arumpac. With Ciriaco Santiago III, Jomari, Orly Fernandez, Vincent Go. When Rodrigo Duterte is voted president of the Philippines, he sets in motion a machinery of death to execute suspected drug dealers, users, and small time street criminals. ASWANG follows people whose lives entwine with the growing violence.

“The documentary makes the viewers experience the war on drugs on different perspectives and itu0026#39;s a grueling experience. The story of an Aswang was once a tale to scare children to not go out at night or sleep early. It is still today just that it became a metaphorical substitute for our crooked policemen, politicians, and president.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe documentary tackled a lot of aspects on how the war on drugs affects the lives of different people but what hit me the most is in how it affects children. Innocence is lost in a very early age. Instead of playing the usual piko, taguan, luksong baka or tumbang preso, they role play on how the police scares people in their neighborhood. Instead of hearing stories about the mythical creature Aswang showing up during the night, they hear stories on how the police hunts at night. They hear stories about people in their neighborhood being held behind a cabinet in a police station. They hear stories about funeral homes have overflowing hunted bodies. They see an Aswang in TV cursing and giving people a license to kill. Iu0026#39;m really worried for these children. They are too young to know or even experience these events in their lives.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYes, probably the only way to end all of this mess is to face our fears of our childhood villain.”