Proof of the greatness of a creation is the emotion that it evokes, favorable or unfavorable.
Such is the picture of Jennelyn Olaires cradling the dead body of her partner, Michael Siaron, a 30-year-old pedicab driver, who was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men while he was waiting for passengers past midnight of July 22 in Pasay City.
Inquirer captioned the heart-wrenching photo by Raffy Lerma, “La Pieta,” after the famous sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti of the sorrowful Mary holding the dead body of Jesus.
Lerma’s photo was a medium shot showing a partial view of the background, a sign, “Bawal magsakay at magbaba ng psahero dito” and cardboard sign with the word “pusher”, which news report said, was left by the killers.
A close-up version was posted online by photo journalist Mark Saludes of UCAnews.
Both Lerma’s and Saludes’ photos captured the anguish in the face of Olaires.
ABC-CBN’s Basilio Sepe took a shot of the sorrowful moment from a higher angle conveying the feeling of smallness and helplessness of the couple.
The picture unnerved President Duterte who belittled it as “drama” in his first State of the Nation address last Monday.
“Eh tapos nandiyan ka nakabulagta and you are portrayed in a broadsheet na parang Mother Mary cradling the dead cadaver of Jesus Christ. Eh yan yang mga yan magda-dramahan tayo dito,” Duterte said.
Doubts about the photograph were raised in social media.
Musician and advertising executive Dennis Garcia said he sensed “something fishy with these shots,” referring to the many versions of the July 22 killing.
“why so many angles? staged with dramatic lighting? and no authorities in sight?inquiring minds want to know, Inquirer…” he asked.
Garcia further said, “in aid of destabilization?”
Sports broadcaster Manolo Chino Trinidad also voiced out his doubts about the too-perfect-to-be-true photograph with the following thoughts posted at 8:25 in his Facebook page.
“Ang tunay na drama sa likod ng litrato
“Kahit saan natin tignan ay walang paliwanag sa pagkamatay o pagpatay sa ating ka-anak. Ang drama dito ay kung paano nai-drawing ang kuha na sukat na sukat at may multiple angles pa.
“Eto ang imahe na sumasalamin sa katayuan ng Philippine Media—un klase na ginagamit para bilugin ang isipan ng sambayanan.”
Two hours after, Trinidad posted this:
“Binabawi ko ang sinabi ko kanina
“May nagpadala sa akin ng mensahe sa pamamagitan din nitong Facebook—isa sa mga tunay na tinataya ang buhay para lamang makakuha ng mga imahe na nailalaman ng ating mga pahayagan.
“Ang kuha na ito ni Raffy Lerma ng Philippine Daily Inquirer ay hindi raw drawing gaya ng aking nasabi kanina.
“Ang pakay daw dito ay makuha ang ‘honesty of the situation.’ Ang kumuha daw nito gaya ng ating mga photojournalists ay walang agenda kundi kunan ang napapanahong talakayan ng “extra-judicial killings.”
Trinidad shared the statement of Saludes, one of the photo-journalists who was at the scene of the crime.
Saludes explained that the lighting “(It) was from floodlights (MMDA and Policemen who responded), ilaw ng mga TV Networks (ask GMA7, CNN, TV5 AND ABS-CBN who were there), flashlights from people who were looking at the crime scene (some were from cellphone flashlights), flash ng mga photojourn ng tabloids.”
Saludes further said:
“Si Raffy Lerma walang dalang flash at hindi gumagamit ng flash tulad namin na nag-aral ng documentary photography. So sumasabay lahat ng walang ilaw sa kung anong available light.
“In fairness sa mga nakasama ko na photogs during that night, walang sumisigaw ng “ISA PA”. Lahat walang imik, hindi nagsasalita at nakikinig lang sa pagmamakaawa ng babae na tulungan ang asawa nya while trying to do our jobs.
“Totoo na maraming walang credibility sa industry natin, pero para gawing dahilan ito para ilayo ang issue ng extra judicial killings eh hindi naman yata tama.
“To think na inilabas din namin ang identity ng subjects sa frame.
“Nakakahiya naman siguro for fellow PJs na andun kung idrowing yan ni Raffy, ni Noel Celis, ni Eli Sepe, ni Linus Escandor, ni Vincent Go o ni Mark Saludes habang kagat-kagat ng eksenang iyan ang pansin at ulirat namin.
“Isama na ang puso.
“I am standing for Raffy and the rest of the PJs who were there.
“I am standing for photojournalism.
“Sa presscon lang uso ang sumisigaw ng “ISA PA” o ng “ATRAS KA NG KONTI ATE.”
“We are not just photographers, we are Photojournalists.”
Ano ba pagtatalunan pa sa photo na ito ay tunay na tunay ang tingin ko, magaling lang talaga ang photojournalist, kuha niya ang madamdaming kwento sa kanyang camera.
Kung photographer yan eh di syut lang ng syut, maskipaps.
Iba ang pagka-manhid ni Duterte. 🙁
Where was Basilio Sepe when he took the aerial photo?
In a chopper? May mataas na building ba sa tapat?
It’s a drone mounted cam. Notice the fisheye lens. ABS-CBN and other big networks now have them as standard.
Tongue, is the place where the murder happened far from the overpass?
#3.SnV, this is Mark Z. Saludes’ answer to your question:
“Sa overpass. If they know pasay rotonda, may overpass yan. Connecting sa mrt. Nasa ibaba lang ng overpass yung scene.”
Palagi ko dinadaanan yung lugar na ya kapag sumakay ako ng MRT. Nakakapangilabot.
la pieta is a work of art, originating from the artist’s fantasy. the pictures shown are real. sometimes truth is more damaging than art.
#8. Truly, Norpil. Truth is “stronger” than fiction.
Kung ang mga drug addict o pusher ay nakakagawa ng matatawag na criminal offense na may pananagutan sa batas eh ang ginagawang pamamatay sa kanila ay criminal offense din at may pananagutan din sa batas ang may kagagawan.
https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2016/07/30/sammy-yatims-father-opens-up-about-sons-death-and-forcillos-bail.html
July 30, 2016
8:40 AM
As much as you can see the pain in Jennelyne in the picture, just imagine the Hell this Family suffered in the last 3 years…
Sammy Yatim was a troubled 18-year old…also addicted to drugs…one fateful night he went out carrying a knife and exposed hisself to the passengers in a streetcar and held them hostage…and Police Officers responded and was able to evacuate the passengers safely.. Then one officer, Constable Forcillo, get close to the door and ordered the young man to drop his knife but refused and he fired from his service firearm, the Glock 40 and hit the teenager 3 times and he was paralyzed and dying on the streetcar Floor…Officer Forcillo paused for few seconds and fired 6 more rounds in quick succession with total shots fired of 9 rounds 8 of them hit the teenager…
The Special Investigation Unit, the Arms Length Investigating Agency, mandated to investigate acts by police officer resulting in serious injuries and death and sexual assault, concluded that the first volley or shots can be justifiable but the next volley was unreasonable use of FORCE (the teenager was already down and dying) and charged the officer for ATTEMPTED MURDER…
He was tried by Judge and Jury and was Convicted as charged and the Judged added a year to a mandatory minimum of 5 years for the crime…and the Sentencing Judge in his scathing remarks called the officer act an egregious..
He was granted bail pending appeal of his conviction and sentence…
Family is suing for undisclosed amount of $$ millions and judging from the past incidents, the case will be settled out of Court…The Province ordered the REVIEW of police use of Force as it was demanded by the Public arising from this incident…
We hope that this senseless Murder will never to have to happen again…
At least in Canada, Vic, the victim is able to sue.
“But, last week, while roving on the night shift, he ( Raffy Lerma) was overwhelmed by the body count arising from the drug war: “Hindi bumababa sa lima ang patay bawat araw, minsan 10, may araw na 18. If I will add everything for that week, it would be more than the total for the year when I first did the nightshift in 2005.”
http://opinion.inquirer.net/96101/the-story-behind-the-viral-photo
A night of anguish and torment by Raffy Lerma
We were not able to take pictures of the male victim—the fourth in “Patay City” (a play on Pasay City, meaning city of the dead), as a radio reporter jokingly said—as the body had been removed from the crime scene. The victim, a mute, was shot and killed by a motorcycle-riding gunman, who also left a cardboard message near his body.
We were quiet as we went back to the Manila Police District, the office of graveyard-shift media workers. I lighted a cigarette to calm my nerves. Another photographer took deep breaths. Together, we recounted moments from the scene at Pasay Rotunda.
Another veteran photographer said, while shaking his head, “I no longer want to be a photographer.” We all had the same feeling of guilt.
We were unsure whether to submit the pictures for publication because we felt guilty for not being able to help the victim and his partner. We only took photographs.
I remember shaking my head, wiping off my sweat and processing what had just transpired in my head.
I told my colleagues: “Let’s file this. It’s our work.”
http://opinion.inquirer.net/96101/the-story-behind-the-viral-photo
Ironic.The victim voted for Duterte last election, his wife said.
“Siaron made money by riding a pedicab – a bicycle with a sidecar – and did odd jobs. His wife said he as a drug user, but not a drugs dealer.
“”He even voted for Duterte in the May 9 presidential election.”
https://widerimage.reuters.com/story/a-death-in-manila
My Queen mother, I give myself entirely to thee… Amen! LA PIETA PRAYER.
Silang Latak ng Lipunan
Madali silang patayin… silang latak ng lipunan. Habang ang magnanakaw ng kaban ng Bayan ay pinakakawalan!
Silang Latak ng Lipunan..!
Yes, she admits, he did use drugs, methamphetamine or shabu to be exact. But he was never a pusher, she stresses.
“Ni minsan, hindi siya nang-agrabyado ng tao. Hindi siya nanggugulo, hindi siya nagnanakaw, hindi siya gumagawa ng masama. (Not even once did he abuse people. He didn’t make trouble, he didn’t steal, he didn’t do anything wrong).”
He had worked for a time in a restaurant, his last steady job. But, since then, he had to work odd jobs to survive. Sometimes he worked as a day laborer. Other times he helped paint houses.
Lately, he had been pedaling a sidecar part-time, taking home a measly P200 at most, of which he had to pay P60 for the “boundary.”
A shack on a garbage strewn creek -home to Siarco and Olaires
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/234097/the-death-of-an-invisible-man
Pinapatay ang users na taga-kalsada pero ni hindi mapitik ang mga mga nagtatago sa mansions, pushers na mapera at drug lords.
re #5: Ellen, there are overpasses in all directions interconnecting LRT1 with MRT3. Initially I thought the spot was in our block but judging from the yellow intersection lines I now say it is in the opposite corner. If you are coming from Roxas Blvd via EDSA and turning right at Taft Ave. towards Baclaran, that’s where the scene is. There is a long L-shaped overpass from our side of EDSA to wards the other side and then again crossing Taft Ave. in the direction of Makati. You walk this route if you are coming from Manila via LRT and want to traverse EDSA via MRT. Or you take the shorter more convenient course – exit LRT by entering the Metropoint Mall which takes you MRT-EDSA Station without losing your roof.
The picture (#18) of their house on the creek which is known as Tripa de Gallina – an estero in sitio Santo Niño the City Hall has been regularly cleaning for decades but the residents just dump garbage and “reclaim” real estate out of the dry estero.
Imelda Marcos bought this huge property from Don Carlos Rivilla to serve as depot for the LRT trains and their office buildings. The rest of the land, all the way to Tramo (a.k.a. Imelda Ave.) were awarded to the urban poor in the martial law years. This place can be considered as the Moriones, Tondo of Pasay as it is known for its hoodlums, gangs, prostitutes, and street criminals victimizing shoppers in Baclaran and commuters in Rotonda.
Ito ang mahirap. Ang mga chemicals para makagawa ng droga ay walang katapusan pero ang panunungkulan ni pangulong Duterte ay hanggang anim na taon lang. Kung ano ang mga chemicals para makagawa ng droga dapat itigil na ang pagproduce ng ganun.
if raffy lerma’s body count on the drug war is correct, pinas is already on the level with brazil, peru and other south american countries. difference being that drug lords go free such that even sison is zealous on the leniency duterte shows on them.
It’s a complicated dilemma.
Due process, you say? But for an industry overflowing in riches and controlled by criminal types, due process is the easiest to undermine. Everyone has a price, as they say. And if you are one of the principled kind who cannot be bought, hey, they could start by kidnapping your youngest kid.
Extrajudicial process? Well, where has anyone acquired the authority to judge one guilty and mete out death for penalty?