Cameras have finally started grinding over the weekend for Mamasapano (formerly titled 26 Hours: Escape from Mamasapano), the maiden offering of Borracho Film Production, a company formed by controversial lawyer Ferdinand “Ferdy” Topacio and friends over bottles of hard drinks and platefuls of sushi and other Japanese delicacies.
“That should make it clear why we named our company Borracho,” Ferdy told Funfare half in jest, half seriously, referring to the Mexican or Chicano slang for...hik, hik, hik!...a drunkard. But make no mistake about it. Ferdy’s team was sober and serious when they conceptualized the project about the 2015 massacre in Mamasapano where 44 Special Action Forces (SAF) troopers died during a law enforcement operation against Muslim rebels (23 of whom were killed).
“We shouldn’t let time erase that tragedy from our memory,” Ferdy said then and is saying now. “It’s a painful story aching to be told, not tomorrow but today,” noting that “the cases filed with the Ombudsman have been dismissed but new charges were refiled in November last year...back to square one.”
Directed by Lawrence Fajardo (Posas, Imbisibol, The Strangers, etc.) from a screenplay by Eric Ramos, the film was originally intended for this December’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) which might have to be postponed due to the pandemic — unless the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) came up with a “new normal” way of holding it (online like the recent Emmys).
Lawyer Ferdinand ‘Ferdy’ Topacio hands check for P100,000 to Rez Cortez as donation to Mowelfund, the foundation headed by Rez who stars in Mamasapano.
Ferdy himself personally tapped the actors for the movie calculated to stir the proverbial hornet’s nest, including Juan Rodrigo as former DILG Sec. Mar Roxas and Mowelfund chairman Rez Cortez as former PNP chief Alan Purisima, plus singers LA Santos (as a young soldier) and Gerald Santos in his post-Miss Saigon film foray as PNP SAF commando Christopher Robert Lalan, the sole survivor of the Mamasapano encounter.
Juan Rodrigo plays former DILG Chief.
Asked about his criteria in choosing the actors, Ferdy (who is knowledgeable about film, being a critic who writes for The STAR) explained, “No, not about the actors’ resemblance to the people they are portraying. Actually, the physical similarities are secondary. I wanted great actors who can study a real-life person and make a skillful reading of his character to create an on-screen persona that will bring out the essence of the role that they are playing within the context of the story. In other words, what I want are not impersonators but actors who can bring to life a believable human being on the big screen.”
Mar Roxas: I can’t get pointers from Sir Mar and I will watch videos of how he talks.
That’s a big challenge to Juan and Rez.
“It’s my first time to portray a living person,” said Juan. “I don’t know Sir Mar personally so I can’t ask for pointers from him. Maybe I’ll watch videos about him and study his mannerisms when he talks and how he looks. I will shave my mustache and wear glasses.”
“I will not attempt to imitate or copy Police General Purisima. I haven’t met him para mapag-aralan ko the way he moves and all. I will just do my own interpretation of a high-ranking police general who is full of confidence and authority.”
Rez plays former PNP Chief Alan Purisima.