Give Up Tomorrow

Monsoon season in the Philippines brings torrential downpours and oppressive heat. More oppressive still is the justice system's treatment of young prisoners accused of a heinous crime. GIVE UP TOMORROW documents a riveting court case that appears to represent a serious miscarriage of justice. Paco Larrañaga was 19 and a student in Quezon City in 1997 when he and six other young men were accused of raping and murdering sisters Jacqueline and Marijoy Chiong. But the murders occurred 350 miles from where Paco was at the time. The filmmakers give ample screen time to both Paco's stoic family and the girls' grief-stricken and vengeful parents. The Chiongs had connections to a drug lord, and it might have behooved them to frame the young men. The entire trial would seem farcical if it weren't so serious: the judge wears sunglasses and sleeps during court sessions; prosecution witnesses get reward money for testifying. The case caused a media circus. It will shock you for the mockery it makes of the judiciary. (In English, Spanish, and Tagalog with subtitles) –B.B.