HORROR OF THE PAST
THIRST TRAP
– Fury.
Trigger warning: mentions of rape and suicide.
​
​
A carbonated bottled drink full of sugar with fizzing bubbles at its brim is enough to quench the thirst of those who are deprived of sweetness and refreshment. However, some just don’t find this enough. What can possibly suffice? Or perhaps... Who can suffice?
​
Delia Dueñas Smith, more commonly known as Pepsi Paloma which has been given by Rey Dela Cruz, her talent manager, when she entered the industry at the age of 14. Dubbed as a “soft drink beauty” alongside three other women, Paloma rose to stardom with a stripped image of a teenager.
​
Through time, Paloma became her family’s silver lining — earning money from starring in different bold films at an early age. Although exposed to a rougher side of life, she remained a girl full of joy and vigor.
​
In 1982, she appeared as a guest on a comedy show Iskul Bukol where Eat Bulaga’s emcees Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and Richie D’Horsie starred alongside actress Guada Guarin. What was thought to be an exposure, later on, became a reason to have the aforementioned hosts to dig their own grave.
​
In the vicinity of Broadcast City, which catered their home network, holds the secrets that are yet to unfold. Once the cameras were all out, Paloma has claimed that their blouses were ripped open and the trio got a taste of her lips. The scene was described with D’Horsie pinning her arms from behind, Sotto intact his mouth on hers, and de Leon taking images.
​
What was once full of spirit became deflated and void of what she had before. Her fizz as a muse started to die down later that ghastly evening. Like a stolen can of soda, Paloma’s innocence has been thrown away without consent, robbed of what she had left as a person. Indeed, she put herself into the limelight of that line of work in order to survive, but acting is in a different spectrum than an actual assault.
​
Taken to Room 210 of Sulo Hotel, Paloma and Guarin were drugged by the three who are quite thirsty, lacking some rush in their lives. It wasn’t a ‘what’ that satisfied their thrill or the lack thereof, but instead it was a who; it wasn’t just one, but two. After all, two is better than one, right? Wrong. Two pure souls were tainted and marked with the lack of decency of the men. That room bore witness to a crime — the two stars being gang-raped.
​
The most painful howls are the ones unheard, but what’s more agonizing is for the howls to be shut down. Her story appeared on the headlines after she appealed to the media; she and her manager even went as far as reaching out to the PNP and to Juan Ponce Enrile, President Marcos’ defense secretary at the time. Enrile directed her to Atty. Rene Cayetano who agreed to represent her for free. But just as she was preparing to file a complaint to the authorities, Paloma suddenly went missing.
Photograph taken by: Liwayway.
She was later tracked down and was found out to be held captive by Bienvenido Mendoza, infamously known as Ben Ulo. He was most likely the suspect as he was known to be the main enforcer of the Castelo clan — a clan on the maternal side of the Sotto family. Mendoza readily confessed. However, despite the arrest and him admitting to the act, there is no record that he was ever charged with any crime connected with Paloma’s abduction.
​
Power overrules the law which is supposed to be the most powerful; Paloma dropped the accusations as Tito Sotto, Vic’s younger brother, avowedly went to Paloma herself to coerce her into signing an affidavit to do so. It was done with a threat according to an Inquirer reporter who investigated the case in which he stated the politician placed a pistol right in front of her.
​
The Sotto brothers and de Leon said their side of the story in an interview. They said it was the other way around, with Tito Sotto even saying “Imagine Vic Sotto, babakla-bakla, raping a woman?” he added to describe the older as frail and skinny. De Leon on the other hand, apathetically stated that “Martial law should be declared again so press freedom will be stopped.” which was a statement directed to the people of the press who abuse the said press freedom to invade people’s privacy and spread malicious lies. The trio later on posted a public apology on TV which, unfortunately, garnered no records of it; but their justification was transcripted as: “We hope that you will not allow the error we have committed against you to stand as a stumbling block to that future which we all look forward to. We, therefore, ask you to find it in your heart to pardon us for the wrong which we have done against you.”
​
After all the ruckus, Paloma took a hiatus where she was said to have been intoxicated with marijuana. By the time she turned back to her manager, she was thin and had to go to a private clinic. By 1983, she reclaimed her spot in the limelight with a film entitled ‘The Victim’ which tried to picture her experience as a rape victim. It boomed during the Manila International Film Festival of the same year.
With a few more roles on the big screen, her scene in the spotlight has been cut. Not because she lacked projects, but because she had taken an eternal rest. In 1985, Paloma was found hanging in her closet – a three-inch thick and 36-inch long cotton sash tied around her neck. The once full soda beauty was now empty and bereft of life.
​
Ever since then, her name has perked every Filipino at least once in their life. In 1997, Eraserheads frontman and songwriter Ely Buendia had written a song called Spoliarium. Along the lines of the song was “Anong sinulat ni Enteng at Joey diyan sa pintong salamin? ‘Di ko na mabasa ‘pagkat merong nagbura.” in an interview almost a decade after the song was released, Buendia was asked to confirm if her case was the inspiration for the song. He added fuel to the flame by saying “I will take this secret to the grave.”
​
35 years later and her case has remained unsolved. Justice is still nowhere to be found. Her mark in the country has sparked countless amounts of research and digging as well as further investigations. Like the soda she was named after is still thriving, her case still sparks controversies until the truth prevails.
​
​
SOURCES :
​
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/lifestyle/pepsi-paloma-photos-a00297-20200531
​
https://bold80spinays.com/2017/04/17/pepsi-paloma/
​
https://www.pep.ph/pepalerts/cabinet-files/151738/pepsi-paloma-death-35-years-a734-20200530-lfrm
​
PACO : TINIG NIYANG NAWAGLIT
– Mutya.
DRUG WAR IN EXCHANGE OF LIFE
– Baliktanaw.
Kasakdalan ng inosente ay ang kapalit ng limpak-limpak na perang winawaldas galing sa pera ng mayayaman. Ang makita ang iyong minamahal sa sitwasyong ito ay tusok sa puso, mabigat na daloy ng luha. Sadyang napakasakit na sa isang iglap, ang mala-roses na pisngi ng iyong supling ay hinding hindi mo na muli madadampian ng iyong malambot na hawak, at ang iyong yakap ay hinding hindi na muling makakamtan.
​
Ang kaso ng magkapatid na Marijoy at Jacqueline o mas kilalang Chiong Sisters Case ay tinuturing na paglilitis ng dekada. Isang teleserye kung saan ang buong Pilipinas ay nakatutok, ito ay nilahad ng Rappler sa dokyumentaryong, Give Up Tomorrow.
​
Ang ika-16 ng Hulyo, taong 1996 ay isang normal na araw lamang para sa lahat. Ngunit para sa magkapatid na Chiong, ito ang simula ng kagimbal gimbal nilang pagkakawala. Ang kanilang presensya ay huling nakita sa Ayala Malls sa Cebu noong gabing balot na balot ng kadiliman at ulan. Diumano, isang Paco Larrañaga ang nanguna sa karumal-dumal na krimen, kasamahan ang iba pang delinquents, na tinaguriang The Chiong 7.
​
Sa pagkaka-aresto ni Paco noong Setyembre parehas na taon, nabulabog ang mga Larrañaga sa napakalaking akusasyon. Umabot sa apatnapu’t dalawang testigo, halos mula sa mga kaklase niya at guro sa Center for Culinary Arts, ang pumipilit na ang binata ay nasa Maynila at imposibleng nasa Cebu noong gabi ng krimen, na pinatunayan din ng tauhan ng Philippine Airlines.
​
Kilala bilang mga scion ng Osmeña, sadyang masama ang reputasyon ng mga Larrañaga sa paningin ng mga Cebuano at ng mga Chiong. Kahina-hinala, kagalit galit, at hindi maiwasan ng pamilya ni Paco na isipin ito ay isang ‘frame-up’ lamang na pilit iginigiit sa inosenteng bata.
​
​
Sa tagal ng paglilitis, iba’t ibang emosyon ang naramdaman ng mga nasakdal. Takot, lungkot, na may halong pag-asa ang nanaig, pilit na pinapatunayan ang sarili. Mga teoryang pawang kabulaanan lamang, ni isang salita ay walang nasambit si Paco dahil sa kalupitan ng gobyernong nabubulag sa salapi.
Iba’t ibang butas ang nakita, butas na pinipilit takpan ng gobyerno at pulis, mga taong nagbabago ang pahayag. Kahit ang korte ng Presidente ay tumulong na upang malutas ito, hindi pa rin naalis sa mga tumestigo kay Paco ang kaba at takot na ang isang batang inosente ay hahatulan ng parusang kamatayan. Pilit man silang tinatapakan, nanaig kay Paco at sa Chiong 7 ang pag-asa ngunit sila ay talo.
Ang walang tigil na iyak ni Mrs. Chiong sa pagkawala ng anak ay katumbas ng walang tigil na hiyaw ng mga Larrañaga upang maisalba si Paco. Ang kasahulan ng gobyernong ito sa pagmamadali ng kaso ay isang patunay ng kanilang kawalan ng kakahayan upang pag-aralan nang maigi ang mga nilahad na ebidensya, ang pagkapit sa mga may kapangyarihan.
​
Ang tinig ng inosenteng bata ay isiniwalang bahala, naginginig, pilit na humihiyaw. Hindi man sila sumabak sa giyera ng dugo’t lakas at pawis, ang mga buhay naman nila’y nawala, pilit na hinahanap kung nasaan ang katarungang dapat makamit. Gisingin man ang tulog na hustisya, ang kabulagan ng marami ay isang pangamba.
​
Mahirap man tanggapin ngunit dapat bang hayaan natin na mabuhay ang mga susunod na henerasyon sa mundo kung saan ang gobyerno ay katulad nito? Walang titigil, walang mananahimik, walang susuko. Give up tomorrow, when tomorrow has no end.​
​
SOURCES :
​
https://enacademic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/1465205
A murder case happened in the Philippines last August 16, 2017. A drug war that the President of the Philippines made that turned out to be one of the worst experience of the Filipinos in our generation, as some of them expected more from the President.
​
Filipinos are known to be kind and empathetic to their fellow citizens. What more if they heard about killings? Especially to a teenager that was killed unjustly.
​
Looking back on Kian Delos Santos' Murder Case, the horrendous crime left the Philippines in constant fear and worry. Kian delos Santos was 17 years old at the time of his death and He was a resident in Barangay 160, Caloocan City. He was accused of getting engaged to drugs by one of the drug pusher named Mr. Nenato Loveras, which has no valid reasons that killed the life of the teenager.
​
Witness said that he pleaded all throughout while he was getting dragged saying “ ‘Wag po, may exams pa po ako bukas.” An innocent plead from a student who just wants to go home for his examination the next day. Who would've thought that this plead that has been heard by other witnesses will be one of the teenager's last line before being killed by the said authorities who swear to protect the nation?
​
He was not even given the chance to explain and defend himself from false accusations which is Kian’s supposedly rights. What’s the purpose of the government’s laws, if the government and authorities themselves do not follow its own regulations?
​
Policemen were contradicting their statements just to save themselves from the punishment that could change their lives negatively. Family and relatives of Kian were in deep pain not only with the death of Kian, but also with the lies of the policemen.
​
The loved ones of Kian couldn’t accept what happened to the teenager that encouraged them to seek help. Some authorities did not fail them, as they acted on the crime upon the approach of the family.
​
The Chief of Public Attorneys Office (PAO) statement was “The Public Attorneys Office does not tolerate abuse and exaggeration especially if the victim has no power to fight back.” which made the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Philippine National Police (PNP) decide to file a case between the 3 policemen namely Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremiah Pereda and Jerwin Cruz, and was sentenced to life in prison.
​
Abusive authorities are not new in the Philippines ’ Justice System, and that made the Philippines go wild and rally for Justice on the government’s selfish actions. The wrath and eagerness that Filipinos showed during their rally, aiming justice to the victim, made a big impact as they manifested unity.
​
Although the Nation knows that Mr. Kian Delos Santos was not the only victim of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, their hearts were in tears upon the teenager’s pleadings and his short experience on Earth because of abusive authorities. The policemen murderers may be living behind the bars, but the life that was wasted is and will never give justice to Kian Delos Santos himself and his family.
​
SOURCES :
​
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46381697
​
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/timeline-justice-trial-kian-delos-santos
​
Photograph taken by: Cookie.
IMPOSTORS AMONG US
– Aquarius.
Lately, a lot of us have been hooked on a game that consists of crew members and impostors. I know you know what I'm talking about. Impostors in that game are essentially harmless, aside from the frustration that players feel when the impostor is excellent with deception. However, in a more realistic context, there are real-life impostors we need to watch out for before they have the opportunity to harm us. By definition, an impostor pretends to be someone else to deceive other people, usually for some sort of gain, personal agenda, entertainment or propaganda. In the age of social media, cases of imposters, posers, and phishing are alarmingly high, and there is a need to be extra cautious with what we do online to protect ourselves from the dangers they bring.
​
In March 2019, a 16-year-old girl, Christine Lee Silawan of Cebu, was deceived, murdered, and raped by 43-year-old Renato Payupan Llenes -- an impostor.
​
Initially the police falsely accused Silawan’s ex-boyfriend for the crime. However, about a month later, Llenes owned up to his this, saying that he was bothered by his conscience and that he could not take seeing someone pay for what he did.
​
Llenes, the Impostor, has admitted using a fake Facebook account with the name C.J. Diaz while posing as a teenage boy. At the same time, he admits communicating with Silawan and murdering the latter in the afternoon of March 10, 2019. In an interview with Inquirer, he says he grew obsessed with the girl. When he found out about Silawan having romances and entertaining other guys outside social media, he confessed that he was enraged and jealous. This rage fueled him to set a meet up with the victim and there, the horror commenced.
Christine was brutally robbed of her clothes and even her skin after refusing to have sex with the 43-year-old man. 12 hours after she was killed, Silawan's body was found lifeless in an empty lot, her face skinned to the bone while a single ear was missing. Although the suspect denied raping the victim, the Public Attorney's Office declares otherwise after doing a re-autopsy showing lacerations and signs of bleeding in the victim's genitals, according to Dr. Erwin Efre of the PAO Forensic Team.
​
With a grand reward of PHP 1,000,000.00 (one million pesos) to whoever reports the suspect, the case of Silawan was one of the most controversial and brutal cases involving rape and murder of a minor. What was supposed to be a trip home from the church turned to be a horrific crime scene brought upon some sort of internet catfishing gone terribly wrong.
​
The potential harm of social media and the importance of being cautious with who we interact with on the internet is highlighted in this case. The importance of keeping one’s privacy and respecting that of another is one of the ways we can create a safer environment for healthier interaction, and at the same time, protect ourselves and others. In this day and age, where everything is in our grasp through the internet, we are somehow empowered to know more, do more, and meet more people. But, as the saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility," and we should always be responsible enough to keep ourselves safe and protect others from the harms brought upon impostors, not just from the game but of the Internet.
​
​