KINATAY

Set in the unfortunate side of Manila, the film follows a criminology student, Peping, searching for a way to earn quick money. Dissatisfied with the money he earns being a small time bet collector (kubrador) he unknowingly agrees to come along his fellow bet collector just to earn extra cash even if it involves murder.

The title “Kinatay”, in relation to the film, signifies the heinous crime committed by the drug syndicate who brutally chopped the body of a woman into pieces after failing to pay her debt. “Kinatay”, in English, means “Butchered”. In Filipino, the word “Kinatay” is mainly associated with the slaughter of cows, pigs, chickens and other livestock. In contrast, the title of the film is related to murder. 

It signifies how people are easily silenced and how criminals deliberately put the life of others into their hands. The title mainly refers to the torture and murder of Madonna, the guest-relation-officer. 

The existence of important symbols and images gave meaning to the story. Particularly, the criminology emblem emphasized on Peping’s back, the protagonist of the film portrayed by Coco Martin, symbolizes the unrighteous use of power. Despite the word “integrity” printed proudly on his back, Peping displays misconduct and manner unbecoming of a policeman. He shows no regard for what the word really means in relation to his future profession.

The gun used signifies violence, power and fear while the scream of the woman indicates the cry for help. The scene where the woman was tied and gagged inside the car indicates how women are powerless against abuse. Violence against women (VAW) appears as one of the country’s pervasive social problems. According to the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey conducted by the National Statistics Office, one in five Filipino women age 15-49 has experienced physical violence since age 15.1

From the time of the kidnapping until after the murder, Peping had a consistent expression on his face. His facial expression shows his guilt and contempt for the crime. After witnessing first-hand the brutal torture and murder of a woman, the fear for his own life overwhelms him. Peping’s facial expression signifies how society fears to act against crimes.

There are sequences in the film that bear importance. The first important scene in the film was the abduction, bondage and torture of Madonna. It showed how vulnerable a woman can be in the hands of ruthless men. It also portrayed sexual battle putting women as victims of men’s vicious desire for crimes.

Second, the appearance of police cars three times was also a point of concern. The first and second appearances were during the transfer of the woman. As the van passed by these cars, the woman, in both instances was desperately trying to attract the attention of the police. Unfortunately, she was gagged and bound and only managed to muffle and wriggle. These incidences represent failed opportunities to escape from abuse and discrimination. The third appearance had the most impact. It was after the murder when they were about to dispose of the woman’s body. A police checkpoint stopped a truck filled with pigs while their van, carrying the woman’s mangled body, easily passed by. It is a clear representation of how women are undermined in today’s society. It implicates that women are nothing more than mere livestock. It may not be true in the Philippine society but it is true in other countries. 

Lastly, the torture, the murder and the disposing of the body were the sequences that should be given utmost importance. These scenes clearly and blatantly reflect abuse towards women.

The story was left open-ended. Since there was no resolution, it implies that even after the gruesome murder, society just continues normally and may remain blind and silent about the crime. The syndicate was left unpunished for their crime and there was no justice present for the woman. It mirrors how society undermines crimes and injustices, be it of major or little significance. Records say that there was an increase of 57% of crime rate in the first half of 2012 as according to the National Capital Region Police Office. At about 29,231 crime incidents were recorded, a record high compared 18, 671 June of last year.2

The film “Kinatay” presents a powerful message, a message that reflects issues concerning violence against women and the involvement of police officials in these situations. Police officers, who should enforce laws, turn into criminals instead. This was clear when “Sarge”, the person who murdered Madonna, turned out to be a police officer. He displayed no regard and gave no importance for their words: “We serve and protect”.

The themes present in the film “Kinatay” are: (1) Women are powerless against abuse. The film is clearly about the men abusing women; (2) Crime involving policemen. According to a news article in 2010, more than 2,000 administrative cases have been filed against police officers.3

Poverty in the Philippines is a major setback on the part of the government and its people. Though the government stays with their effort to counter poverty through its poverty alleviation programs, still for years, cannot solve the main roots of the problem. The film tackles how poverty in highly-urbanized cities in the metro continues to flourish and how widely residents accept the fact that they live below the poverty line. Most of these people are not able to finish schooling and has low chance of having a decent job that would sustain their daily needs. However, considered as a major reason why the government cannot simply eradicate poverty in the lives of most people is because of the fact that they are already used to it as part of the system.

The film clearly shows the unrighteous behavior of the policemen, breaking the law they are supposed to enforce. Crimes involving policemen are

also a major setback on the part of the authorities and even to the Philippine National Police itself. Police officers involved in crimes have been a big problem of the government in order to fully implement laws because the men, who are supposed to respect and implement these laws, are also the ones violating them.

The film “Kinatay” contains societal issues that are crucial to the study. The societal issues presented in the film are: (1) Drugs. According to the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), “The drug problem in the Philippines remains significant, despite the continued efforts of Philippine law enforcement authorities to disrupt major drug trafficking organizations and dismantle clandestine drug laboratories and warehouses. The Philippines faces challenges in the areas of drug use and production, law enforcement, corruption, and drug trafficking."4; (2) Violence against women. Gabriela Partylist, a partylist for women, said in statement that rampant violence against women in the Philippines are yet to be solved by the authorities in order to give justice to the victims. (3) Misuse of power by authorities. In the 2009 INCSR, the US State Department said corruption of police and other public officials remains an obstacle to better law enforcement in the Philippines,5 and; (4) Crime proliferation.