Ian Veneracion stars in this series with a sensitive topic
The crime drama Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence, starring seasoned actor Ian Veneracion, tackles that controversial drug war in the Philippines during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The series starts with a disclaimer stating it is only inspired by real events. However, the show clearly indicates which specific drug campaign it represents.
The first episode featured a 2016 video clip of former President Rodrigo Duterte vowing to wipe out illegal narcotics. It also displayed on-screen statistics regarding the heavy casualties of the crackdown, based on the article in Inquirer Lifestyle.
The opening scenes depict law enforcement officers searching low-income areas, conducting door-to-door interrogations to gather names, and detaining suspects at a neighborhood basketball court.
Although this series may be viewed as a way to criticize the Duterte administration and spark backlash from his supporters, the cast and creators accept this risk as an unavoidable part of telling the story.
Director Shugo Praico said that they know that this might be included, but as storytellers and as filmmakers, when they fear backlash, they cannot tell the truth they wanted to convey.
“As one of the characters says, ang takot ay isa sa mga maaaring maging weapon para mapatahimik tayo,” he said.
Drug War, produced by Rein Entertainment, centers on small-island priest Fr. Tom Carillo (Ian Veneracion) and his local rehab initiative.
His core beliefs are flipped over by Kiko Agustin (Harvey Bautista), a traumatized teen refugee. Kiko is running from Manila’s brutal Oplan Tokhang campaign, which killed someone close to him.
An unfamiliar police presence soon invades the community, threatening Father Carillo’s rehabilitation advocacy and targeting his reputation.
Devastated by the sudden death of his protégé, Kiko, the disgraced priest allies with Yana Macabeo (Jane Oineza), a remorseful police officer. Together, they fight to expose a deadly conspiracy linking Kiko’s murder directly to the Philippine drug war.