‘Mamasapano’ movie: Sensible script, promising director, good actors

Will Filipinos watch a movie that might make them cry this holiday season? We're talking about Mamapasano: Now It Can Be Told, incidentally produced by lawyer and Daily Tribune columnist Ferdie Topacio.

The movie was first submitted as an entry to the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival but did not make it. This year, to Topacio's surprise, Mamasapano made the grade.

In a previous interview, Topacio admitted Mamasapano might contrast emotionally to the festive air of Christmas, since it depicts a violent, depressing,
true-to-life story of the Mamasapano incident on 25 January 2015 — in which 44 members of the Philippine National Police's Special Action Forces were killed while on a mission to capture or kill wanted Malaysian terrorist and bomb-maker Zulkifli Abdhir (alias Marwan) and other Malaysian terrorists or high-ranking members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The movie held its gala premiere at Cinemas 8 and 9 of SM Megamall on 15 December.

Mamasapano's screenplay blames the tragedy on then-President Noynoy Aquino. A character in the movie says: "He didn't do anything to save the SAF even when he knew they were trapped…"

Aquino's dilemma was the government had been engaged in peace talks with Muslim rebels when the operation was launched.

The SAF killed Marwan but not another person who escaped and alerted rebel groups in the area about the attack, codenamed Oplan Exodus.

Another problem for Aquino was he authorized police chief General Alan Purisima be on top of the operation at a time when the latter has been suspended by the Ombudsman allegedly over the misuse of gunowners' courier fees.

Aquino was said to have wanted to help Purisima redeem himself from his suspension. Purisima was formerly Aquino's personal security officer.

Aquino also assigned SAF head General Getulio Napeñas to assist Purisima in the operation.

The movie's screenplay by Eric Ramos is based on the report of the investigation headed by General Benjamin Magalong (now Baguio City mayor). It's a sensible and touching script, heartrending in various points.

The movie has a big cast since the SAF casualties alone are 44.

Edu Manzano plays Magalong, Paolo Gumabao as Supt. Raymond Train who headed the Seaborn Company, the main assault team, Aljur Abrenica as Lt. Franco, the SAF intelligence officer, Rez Cortez as Purisima, and Allan Paule as Napeñas.

Claudine Barretto is the widowed wife of one of the SAF members, Gerald Santos as Sgt. Christopher Lalan (the only SAF survivor), Juan Rodrigo as
then- DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, and Jervic Cajarop as Aquino.

The almost emaciated and little-known Cajarop looks wimpier than Aquino. Some female actors identified with body-baring roles in Vivamax movies are fully-clothed and fierce SAF members here.
It's a well-acted movie, specially the actors who portray the 44 SAF members, the generals, and Cajarop as Aquino.

The non-linear storytelling helps pace Mamasapano to turn suspenseful, even if viewers know how it will end.

Lester Dimaranan is a promising director. We won't object if he wins at the MMFF Awards Night on 27 December.

Despite Mamasapano's obvious anti-Aquino stance, Topacio declared at the movie's premiere screening in Baguio City in September: "We didn't do it to put anyone in a bad light. We just want the truth to come out."