ALIPATO AT MUOG (Flying embers and a fortress)

 

LOGLINE
Filmmaker JL Burgos uncovers the hard truths surrounding the enforced disappearance of his brother Jonas Burgos who was abducted in 2007.

SYNOPSIS
The abduction of Jonas Burgos in 2007 was brazen--done at noontime in a crowded mall. As his family launched their search, a car plate brought them face to face with powerful forces. Thus, began the fight for justice.

Despite insurmountable barriers, anonymous informants have dropped leads and even provided the last known photo of Jonas in captivity. At the forefront of this battle is Edita, the mother who is now 80 years old, and her other son, filmmaker JL Burgos.

Presented through testimonials of their lawyer, a reporter, a former Justice Secretary and Human Rights Commission Chair, and witnesses who agreed to appear on condition of anonymity, combined with animation and never-before-seen footage of the family’s relentless search, JL pieces the stories together to uncover the truths, however painful, about his brother’s disappearance.

DIRECTOR’S PROFILE

 

JL Burgos is an independent filmmaker and visual artist. His body of work focuses on human rights. He was the director and producer of two full-length documentaries -- Portraits of Mosquito Press (2015) and Han-Ayan (2017).

Over the course of 25 years, Burgos worked on short films, experimental videos, public service announcements, web series, and a TV show either as a director, cinematographer, editor, scriptwriter, producer, or combination of roles.

Burgos’s most recent projects include Oras De Peligro movie (as editor of archival footages), stage plays Tumindig Ka Aking Saksi and Salvage Eman (DOP) and Ano Ang Aming Kasalanan and Pagkatapos Nito (Director) music videos.

JL is the youngest brother of farmer-activist Jonas Burgos who was forcibly taken by state forces. Since his brother’s abduction in 2007, JL has been helping spread awareness about enforced disappearance.

Burgos is also the proponent of Stop The Attacks, a campaign by artists for artists who have been victims of constant red-tagging and harassment by the state.

Burgos is currently a board member of Surian ng Sining, a national cultural institute of artists, writers, and cultural workers.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

 

An overwhelming feeling came over me when I did not have a glimpse of even the shadow of my brother that night. No text. No phone calls. No brother came home.

Jonas was abducted by state forces in 2007 while having lunch in a mall. It was a case of enforced disappearance and it was the start of the family’s nightmare.

The government defines Enforced Disappearance in Republic Act 10353 as the act of arresting, detaining, abducting, or otherwise depriving someone of their liberty by state agents or by individuals or groups acting with the approval, backing, or consent of the state.

Since the martial law of dictator Marcos Sr, about 1,912 desaparecidos remain missing to date, according to human rights group Karapatan. But how can justice prevail when the crime is committed by the very institution that is mandated to protect its people? Where does one even turn for answers?

This is why this documentary is very personal to me. Telling Jonas’s story is telling the story of more than a thousand victims of enforced disappearance. Our nightmare is the nightmare of every family of a desaparecido.

There are no illusions that this documentary will stop enforced disappearances. But it is my hope that this film will serve as both a step towards finding Jonas and a stride towards justice for all victims of enforced disappearance.

Alipato at Muog (Flying Embers and a fortress) is JL Burgos' entry to Cinemalaya Film Festival 2024

 

“A strong sense of concern overwhelmed me when I did not see even his shadow that night.  No letters, phone calls, text messages—no brother came home.” -JL Burgos

Jonas Burgos' last photo

Filmmaker JL Burgos bares in this documentary the untold stories that shrouded the enforced disappearance of his brother Jonas.

Snatched away by armed men 16 years ago in a Philippine mall in broad daylight, Jonas' story becomes one of Philippines' high profile cases.

Through intimate interviews, archival photos/footages, and personal testimonies, this documentary will delve into the compelling evidence traced inside a military camp, the confidential paper trails, the story behind the last captured image of Jonas while in military detention, and witnesses accounts. 

The filmmaker will also share the relentless search of their family and how it scaled the heights of justice which led to the unprecedented Supreme Court ruling: an order compelling the Armed Forces of the Philippines to produce the body of Jonas. 

Yet, amid this flicker of hope, Jonas remains missing to this day.  See trailer below: