JERRY OLEA:
Matapang ang web series na Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence na bida sina Ian Veneracion, Jane Oineza, Harvey Bautista, Romnick Sarmenta, at John Arcilla. Si Shugo Praico ang director.
Tinalakay rito ang drug war ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte noong 2016-2019.
Paano nahikayat ang mga artista na lumahok sa ganitong klaseng proyekto?
“When we presented to all of them, si Ian, Harvey, Jane, everyone, we were very clear that we were telling stories of these characters, of these people,” lahad ni Direk Shugo sa Q&A matapos ang preview ng finale ng series noong Oktubre 6, 2026, Martes sa Uptown Mall, BGC, Taguig City.
“Parang tapestry of the drug war that happened during 2016-2019. Malinaw sa kanila iyon.
“We didn’t talk about political leanings, political beliefs. What we talked about was the effect nitong nangyari sa tao, sa bawat characters na ito.
“Sa community kung saan sila nakatira. Sa pamilya kung saan sila nabe-belong. At sa relasyon ng bawat isa sa mga characters po.”
Nagkaroon ba ang mga artista ng agam-agam kaugnay sa kani-kanyang karakter at sa story arcs?
“Wala po akong narinig from them. They believed in their characters. They believed in the story they were telling,” tugon ni Direk Shugo.
“Bawat isa po sa kanila, I felt, gave everything dito sa project pong ito.”
Nasa cast din ng Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence sina Lotlot de Leon, Yayo Aguila, Joem Bascon, Ryan Eigenmann, Art Acuña, at Miggy Jimenez.
Ang finale (Episode 6) nito ay mapapanood sa YouTube channel ng Rein Entertainment umpisa Oktubre 8, 2026, Huwebes ng 8:00 P.M.
DRUG WAR SERIES "NOT BACKED BY ANY POLITICAL PARTY"
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GORGY RULA:
Suportado ba ng gobyerno ni Pangulong BBM ang Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence?
Sinasabing against sa mga Duterte ang online series na ito.
Pinondohan ba ito ng administrasyon, lalo pa’t isa sa mga producer si Direk Lino Cayetano.
Si Lino ay in-appoint bilang general manager ng People’s Television Network (PTV-4) noong Hunyo 2026.
Paglilinaw ni Direk Shugo Praico: “Una po, when we did this with Lino as our producer, wala pa po siya sa PTV-4. Recently lang siya nasa PTV.
“Pangalawa, wala po kaming naramdaman — we can tell you pointblack — that this is not backed by any political party, or much more, nung admin.
"This is a project by Rein Entertainment. We’ve had this concept brewing before, before pa.
"And again this is not about anti-Duterte or pro-Marcos or pro-ganyan. This is the stories of those affected dun sa giyera, sa digmaan nung drug war.
"We made sure na ito iyung ikinukuwento. Kung may mga nata-touch man na political, siyempre hindi natin matatakasan iyon dahil iyun na nga, polarizing iyung subject matter. Iyun po.
"We can’t stop others to think kung ano man ang isipin nila but galing sa amin, wala pong ganun na suporta from the administration.
"And Lino wouldn’t even allow it."
Dagdag ng scriptwriter na si Noreen Capili: “As someone na hindi naman taga-Rein, this was developed three years ago, four years ago. Ganoon na katagal.
"And when they got the writers, hindi naman nila sinabing, ‘O, gagawa kami ng pelikula na against somebody or against someone.’
"It’s like we are telling a story of a certain time in our country na kailangan lang marinig at mapanood ng lahat.
"So gusto lang naming i-debunk, like pati iyung tinanong din kanina, na ano daw ang ano ng mga artista na this is parang anti-DDS or what.
"This has nothing to do with politics or Duterte or the DDS, kasi gusto lang naming ikuwento kung ano ang nangyari noong time na iyun.
"It just so happened that he [Duterte] was the president at that time kaya nadadamay siya. But to be clear about it, walang political anything. Walang politics.
"Hindi siya pinondohan para siraan ang isang kandidato or what.
"Kasi gusto lang naming magkuwento kung ano ang nangyari noong time na iyon. That’s it. Iyun lang po."
Susog ng scriptwriter na si Jonathan Guillermo: "When this idea was first thrown around the Rein office, una, Direk Shugo is right.
"It’s way, way before Direk Lino was even considered for his position at PTV-4.
"In fact, when this idea was first proposed, the hearings of the drug war… it was even before that, it was even before the hearings about the drug war.
"It sort of just coincided like everyone was like, ‘Oh suddenly it’s relevant!’ Yeah, but what we really intended was that this period in time in our history, the stories of this period be told and not be forgotten.
"So that we can tell the world that yes, this happened. Sort of like how the US is still making Vietnam War movies ten years after Vietnam.
"You want the memory, the cultural memory to remain and to be preserved for future generations.
"So that other people will learn about experiences when we tried the drug war. Because this isn’t the first drug war we fought and I’ll bet it’s not the last.
"And it’s good to have a cultural artifact that narrates how the drug war was for 2016 to 2019, and preserve that in the cultural memory."
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NOEL FERRER:
Huwag na tayong magmaang-maangan na wala itong kinalaman sa nakaraang administrasyon… MERON!
Hindi puwedeng nasa vacuum ang kuwentong ito. Relevant ito dahil nangyari at nangyayari pa rin sa atin. Hindi ito teleserye na gawa-gawa lang. Hindi fiction.
Basta sana, may mabago sa lipunan natin, lalo na sa pag-frame ng drug war sa kasaysayan. Dahil pagdating sa kanayunan, ang akala nilang bayani nila ay hindi pala tunay. Kawawang bayan.
At kaya kailangang mapanood at mapag-usapan ito, hindi para manira, kundi para maalala — at hindi na maulit muli.