04/24/2026
Philippine Politics + Horror Podcasts
As much as I think people enjoy the Filipino culture I put forward in Hi Nay and Dominus, there's definitely still a big cultural divide with regards to the harsh reality that exists among Filipinos.
Mari and Father Jonas both come from a violent background due to killings by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police). They commit massacres against civilians and then lie about it, and this is not surprising when you realize the AFP in particular is trained by the US Armed Forces and the IDF.
Mari killed 20 policemen before she moved to Canada, because they were about to attack and kill a poor baranggay and mark it down as a successful drug raid (read: they would plant drugs and guns on civilians). While she is not haunted by guilt, she's haunted by the thing that was born from the mass killing. She is also haunted by her Tatay (dad) being tortured and killed by the AFP.
Father Jonas was radicalized when his mentor, Mari's Tatay, was tortured and killed by the AFP. He's a radical activist that's been red-tagged, or accused to be a militant communist, in order to justify him being killed by either the AFP or PNP.
Both characters exist closer to reality due to their experience with the Philippines' state sponsored violence because I didn't want to make a Filipino story devoid of historical and political context.
Even in my anthology episodes from Nine to Midnight and Someone Dies In This Elevator, the character "Interpreter", a medical worker turned caretaker from the Philippines, also ended up helping a ghost kill a policeman that took part in civilian murders under Duterte's drug war.
I just wanted to mention this because the AFP has recently massacred even more civilians and then lied about it. It's an ongoing reality for any Filipino trying to make the country a better place. They're punished for it.
