12/03/2026
It was supposed to be just five minutes. 😂
Last February 18, 2026, Ate Joie De Vivre Every Other Day asked me to create a short video presentation for the Supreme Court.
Just five minutes.
About President Rodrigo Duterte.
And she told me one thing very clearly:
“Iniisip ko sinong makaka-pull off neto and ikaw lang talaga 'ung nasa isip ko. Elyne, make this film so moving. We need it for the Supreme Court. Are you free to do this? Pro-Bono lang 'to, Be.”
At first, I thought to myself, "Okay… Easy! FIVE MINUTES. Keriboom!"
And so I responded to her that she witnessed the time I quit politics due to the libelous accusations that was done to me, my name and my business by fake friends from Uniteam Marcos Supporters in 2022. 🥴 But after what this government did to Daddy D, I looked back again in politics because he is after all, PRRD. Of course, I'd take the role KASI RODRIGO DUTERTE 'YAN! Gagawin ang lahat para sa kanya, at sa kanya lang, at sa kanya lamang.
She discussed to me what she wants to see.
I responded to her how I envisioned it.
THEN SHE CRIED. 😭
That's when I knew that this would be so much easier.
In my head, I thought:
Two minutes for the introduction.
Two minutes to establish 2016-2022.
Two minutes for the war on drugs.
Two minutes for the epic ending.
Simple.
Sobrang sisiw mga besh...
Until it wasn't.
AHAHAHA
You see in weddings, everything is beautiful.
So tell me, what's so beautiful about War on Drugs? 🤨
Right? Right!
When I started checking Ate Joie’s phone shots, I realized there weren’t enough clips I needed for the video. So I had to start digging through the internet...
Looking for speeches, interviews, moments from Davao, the campaign, the presidency.
And the deeper I went…
The more impossible the task became.
Five minutes became eight.
Eight minutes became fifteen.
And halfway through the edit…
I realized I was still only halfway through the story.
AHAHAHA
Anyare, Elyne?
That’s when something hit me.
When you love a person so much…
when you respect someone so deeply…
Five minutes will never be enough.
You want to give more.
You want to give your very best.
You want to create something that somehow reflects the kind of sacrifice, service, and love that this man gave to the country — EVEN IF HE NEVER GETS TO SEE IT. 🥰
Because when you look at the life of PRRD, you realize something:
It cannot be encapsulated in five minutes.
Or eight.
Or fifteen.
So I kept going.
I kept stretching it...
Trying to fit everything.
And in the end,
the 5-Minuter video became a 32-Minuter Documentary Film.
And even then…
I still felt it was not enough.
This has been the longest edit I have ever done in my life.
Wedding SDEs are like 3-5 minutes.
Full-Length Wedding Films are 10-20 minutes.
So ano 'to?
Film.
A Rodrigo Duterte Documentary Film.
Because how do you tell the story of a man whose life cannot simply be summarized?
From the mayor who protected his city for decades.
To the man who stood before the nation in 2016.
To the president who carried the burden of a war that many were too afraid to fight.
And then…
To the moment he was suddenly taken away to The Hague.
For all the sleepless nights.
For all the sacrifices.
For the weight of decisions that few people could ever understand.
Sometimes I still feel like even thirty-two minutes is too small for a life like that.
But I tried.
I truly did.
Para sayo,
Rodrigo Duterte...
At para sayo lamang.
This film was originally created for the Supreme Court Justices.
So they would not have to spend endless hours digging through speeches, footage, and records scattered across the internet.
I already did that dirty work.
All they have to do is watch.
And see for themselves how a man who served this country for decades was treated on March 11, 2025.
But the film is not only for them.
It is also for people who may not even know a single chapter of who PRRD really was.
For those who never heard his speeches.
For those who only saw headlines.
And yes — even for those who hated him.
Because sometimes the truth is not found in arguments.
Sometimes you just have to watch the story unfold.
So today, on the one-year anniversary of the day he was taken away to The Hague, I offer this film.
Not as a celebration.
But as a remembrance.
A hard truth of what this government can do to a regular citizen like Rodrigo Duterte. 🤬
For those who supported him, you probably already know these stories. But this film is especially for those who may not even know a small part of what PRRD truly did for this country.
Before he was taken away, I actually made a promise to myself.
That I would step away from politics.
That I would never return to it again.
That I would simply go back to my quiet life of storytelling.
But what happened to him…
Made me do something for our nation once again.
Maybe this will be the last time I do something like this.
Maybe not.
Only time will tell.
But one thing I know for sure.
Everything I ever did in support of this man WAS ALL WORTH IT.
Because in my lifetime,
I truly believe we witnessed the greatest President this country will ever have.
And this film is my small attempt to honor that story. 🇵🇭👊🏼💚
- - -
I present to you:
A Documentary Film about Rodrigo Duterte
THAT DAY IN VILLAMOR
A documentary exploring the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte and the years that shaped one of the most polarizing presidencies in Philippine History.
LINK: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1617668822814084
- - -
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Duterte Creatives
CineMotion Digital Films Philippines
Joie Cruz
Jassy egan
Paulo Lino Canillo Te
FPRRD supporters
Alvin & Tourism
Amik Garceniego
Engr. berto
Various DDS Supporters
OLD SCHOOL PINOY
Argem Sambillon
For the camera clips, phone shots, video grab compilations, speeches, interviews, photographs and what-I-cannot-recall that is present in the making of this Documentary Film. It was a big help for me to be able to weave something for our Supreme Court Justices. Maraming maraming salamat, Co-Duterte Supporters!
- - -
So you ask me again, what's so beautiful about War on Drugs?
You can watch for you to find out.
Hi guys, welcome to my channel! (>‿◠)✌ AHAHAHA
