Juan Sinag Cano

It was chilling and appalling at the same time. My feet were drenched in mud, and my boots bore a scratch from a stray bullet that ricocheted off the adjacent basketball court. Gunshots shattered the unusual silence of the once-lively Delpan. It felt surreal, but it was happening. I navigated a narrow street packed with people desperately fleeing in the opposite direction. My client, a journalist from Spain, clung to my hand as we were swept into a stampede of wet bodies, rounded up by ‘friendly’ policemen on the hunt for a certain Alvin. By night’s end, four Alvins lay dead.

My boots saved my feet from a hospital trip, but for the people of Delpan, the scars ran deeper. That night, a mother lost her disabled son, a father was gunned down for sharing a name, a garbage picker succumbed to a bullet, and a brother who fed his siblings now rests eternally, leaving hungry mouths behind. The intended target, the elusive Alvin, vanished. I hope he found redemption, for four namesakes bled in his stead.

This stands as one of my most vivid memories of the bloody war on drugs during the Duterte regime. No one was spared. Over those years, people grew desensitized, even supportive of the carnage that claimed more than 20,000 lives. Terror gripped the alleys and streets of the slums. From countless interviews, one grim pattern emerged: after a knock on the door, someone would be knocked out of this world. Prisons overflowed with drug suspects and surrenderees, all fearing Duterte’s monstrous crusade.

As I recount these memories, this chapter remains the most indelible. It taught me invaluable lessons I hold dear. A bullet, in the hands of the corrupt, is also a thief.

Every project I’ve undertaken is an extension of myself. The work I do isn’t just a job—it’s a piece of my soul. The stories I tell, the videos I produce, they carry the weight of my experiences and the voices of those silenced. This realization shapes every frame, every edit, every narrative. In advocacy, especially, these stories need to be told. Case studies aren’t just statistics; they are the lifeblood of our fight, the proof of our cause, the echo of those lost to senseless violence.

Through my lens, I aim to capture not just images but the essence of these tales, ensuring they resonate, educate, and inspire change. Every frame is a testament, every edit a tribute, and every story a call to action.

Juan Cano
16/07/2024