Season of the Devil (Ang Panahon ng Halimaw)

In the year 1977,

President E. Marcos authored Presidential Decree No.1016

which created the Integrated Civilian Home Defense Unit

or more popularly known as CHDF.

More than 70,000 civilians were armed and given power

to help quell the so-called rebellious deeds of the Communist Party of the Philippines

and the secessionism of the Moro Filipinos in Mindanao.

The CHDF, which is a para-military force,

had been one of the causes

of a vast human rights violations during the Martial Law period.

This tale, which happened in 1979,

in a remote village in Southern Philippines,

is based on a story of real people and real events.

They are my friends.

And this is a tribute and a memoriam to them.

Is there anything left to do?

What else do they need?

What else should we do?

Use your mind.

Use your head.

Don’t give in to the masses' sensibilities.

Is there anything left to do?

What else do they need?

What else should we do?

Use your mind.

Use your head.

Don’t give in to the masses' sensibilities.

Is there anything left to do?

What else do they need?

What else should we do?

Use your mind.

Use your head.

Don’t give in to the masses' sensibilities.

They want certainty.

They don’t want uncertainty.

Let’s use the Witch.

Let’s use the Vampire.

Let’s use the Tikbalang.

Let’s create a new belief.

Let’s create a new church for them.

They want certainty.

They don’t want uncertainty.

Let’s use the Witch.

Let’s use the Vampire.

Let’s use the Tikbalang.

Let’s create a new belief.

Let’s create a new church for them.

They want certainty!

They don’t want uncertainty!

Let’s use the Witch!

Let’s use the Vampire!

Let’s use the Tikbalang!

Let’s create a new belief.

Let’s create a new church for them.

They want certainty.

They don’t want uncertainty!

Let’s use the Owl!

Let’s use the Wise Man!

Let’s use the Chairman Narciso!

Let’s create a new belief!

Let’s create a new church for them!

They want certainty!

They don’t want uncertainty!

Let’s use the Owl!

Let’s use the Wise Man!

Let’s use the Chairman Narciso!

Let’s create a new belief.

Let’s create a new church for them!

I AM A REBEL. DO NOT IMITATE ME.

What could have happened?

Why is he tied-up?

Who could have killed him?

Why is there a spur?

He has bite in his mouth.

He has a scratch on his cheek.

There’s a dead duck.

A sign of the devil!

There’s a dead duck.

Sign of the devil.

He’s just there-

The devil’s at your side.

I think it’s the Owl.

That evil Owl.

Beware with that Owl!

With that Sinta Owl.

He's a vampire's victim.

He's a vampire's victim!

He's a vampire's victim.

He's a vampire's victim!

If the world will lose its colors,

what would I do with spring?

What would I do with summer?

I need to wake up from you.

If the world will lose light,

what would I do with mornings?

What would I do with dusk?

I need to retreat with you.

If the world loses melody,

what would I do with rain?

What would I do with lullabies?

I need to be born from you.

If the world loses heart,

what would I do with pain?

What would I do with compassion?

I need to be free from you.

Thank you, everyone.

Let us now listen to the verses of Hugo Haniway!

Good evening, everyone.

While walking earlier,

I saw two men riding a motorcycle.

It made me nervous.

So I immediately walked into a nearby alley.

I stepped on something slimy.

I fell down of course,

down at the trash bin.

Until now, my back still hurts.

I’ll get a massage later from Old Tinong of Barrio Tumbangpreso.

I picked this up from the trash bin where I fell.

I will be reading this.

To the one who will pick this poor paper up:

Are you one with us?

A friend,

a chatmate, a classmate,

or a groupmate?

Sports the same hairdo and jacket like everyone else?

Those who are proud and bickering?

Those who act like kings

and act like they own this country?

Are you also a part

of their adulterous ways -

dancing and rejoicing with them?

With making a fool

out of your innocent countrymen?

Are you also a part of those who are just silent

and pretends not to see things?

While out in the streets,

predators are out in the open,

scaring, slaying your helpless countrymen?

And I saw you in your Barong,

shaking hands, and taking photos with him.

You’re wearing the same scent,

pomade, attitude, and even the way he speaks.

You rationalize well now with his cruelty.

You used to be out in the streets,

angry, shouting,

with closed fist,

resisting and opposing

with any human rights violation.

And for every excess done to our motherland, you passionately said, No!

I won't give in to you!

Why are you silent this time,

and as gentle as a puppy?

I wonder how the ass you’re licking tastes like?

I can hear your gentle licking even in my nightmares,

and your feasts in the palace and the plaza don't seem to end.

And your travels at the fields and outside the country are becoming frequent.

There's no mystery left in your joy and under your shirt.

There’s almost grease with the thickness of oil in your mouth.

Psychedelia is mixing

and playing in those eyes of yours.

The juice of talampunay might be overflowing.

Ah!

The murder of the masses is easy to cover up

especially if the masses are the very ones rejoicing with it.

The punch is really high;

the punch of the drug of the demagogue.

Are you already one with them?

Even when they are revising history to their own versions?

Are you just agreeing

yet you don’t mind?

Even though they bend the rules

and they turn the wrong to right?

Did I just hear you say,

call this a compromise,

but at least, my pocket is full?

Will you just be content with some arrogant boxer,

a pretentious comedian,

and another arrogant actor to rule your sleeping country?

Beware -

of sweet promises,

which seem to be filled with love.

Beware -

with words promising certainty

and infinite freedom.

Beware,

beware -

with prophets promising certainty

and ever afters.

Friend -

certainty is a dead-end

and you are at the end,

no steps left,

meaning,

death.

I will tell you all a story.

This is the story of the last Filipino.

Time came once,

when there’s just one Filipino

living on the only island left

from the vanishing archipelago.