“The massacre cannot stop us.”

Those are the words coming from college freshman Ark Marold Corpin and his fellow millennials aspiring to become future journalists in the Philippines, even as the country has witnessed the single deadliest attack on journalists in modern history —- the Ampatuan Massacre.

On November 23, 2009, 58 people were killed in broad daylight, among them 32 journalists, as a town vice mayor was on his way to file for a certificate of candidacy for the 2010 elections.

After 10 years of trial and testimonies from 357 witnesses, the court is set to finally hand down its verdict on the 101 persons charged with murder.

Even so, more than ten years after the Ampatuan Massacre, the Philippines continues to rank among the deadliest places for journalists in the world.

Behind the Scenes of ‘Shariff Aguak’

For Ark and his group, choosing the massacre as the theme of their entry to their college music video festival was not easy. But as soon as their group’s composers James Lanquino and Alyssa Gepollo started putting words into the song, everything came into place.

Perhaps it was the weight of the tragedy, or the souls of the victims that guided their journey. But one thing was sure. They wanted their small production to join the call for justice.

“Those who are responsible must pay for what happened,” Ark said.

Ark’s music video ‘Shariff Aguak’ won the Music Video of the Year at the PUP BroadCircle Music Video Festival 2019. It also bagged the Best Teaser, Second Best Concept, and Third Best Director awards during the ceremony held on November 27.

Watch the music video here: https://youtu.be/cfXp-Gl7a78

[Entry 285, The SubSelfie Blog]

About the Director and Production Team:

Ark Marold Corpin is an 18-year-old freshman Broadcasting student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He, along with 17 of his classmates, produced this music video with his group, Paraluman Films. The group chose the name Paraluman which means “muse,” or “inform aesthetically,” because they want their audience to grasp something while appreciating the content.