Reaction Paper POLITICS, GOVERNANCE W/ PHIL. CONSTI.

Eugene EJ C. Ramirez

BSMA 3A

A Rustling of Leaves

It's the year 1987. Ferdinand Marcos' regime has just been deposed. President Corazon Aquino, who

was recently elected, is battling her own troops for control of the country. Father Navaro, a rebel priest,

and the communist New People's Army continue to fight an armed revolution in the highlands.

Commander Dante, the rebel army's creator, is released from prison. He decides to run for senator to

give President Aquino's new democracy a try. June Pala, a radio DJ, is the Anti-Communist Crusade's

spokesperson. He dresses up as Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels and threatens to dispatch vigilante

death squads to hunt out underground guerillas and left-wing activists. A rustling of leaves represented

the farmers' and poor's perspectives as they worked together to save the Philippines from the

destruction caused by the previous administration. Their passion was strong, but it wasn't enough to

end the country's widespread oppression. Inside the Philippine Revolution: A Rustling of Leaves

remained pertinent in these challenging times, depicting an eye-opening and in-depth portrayal of the

injustices that many Filipinos have endured throughout the years.

More than a retrospective on a dark era, the film revealed the truth about Aquino's government, which

was founded on the falsehood that her administration brought about positive change for the country,

only to reveal no major improvement from the brutal oppressors. The same abuses that occurred

previously continue to occur today, as the present leadership continues to legalize violence against

dissenters. Despite the dangers, today's activists continue to put their lives on the line to convey the

nation's problems and advocate for social change. History does indeed repeat itself, as evidenced by

past blunders that continue to haunt us today. Even though many years have gone, the irony remains as
democracy hangs by a thread. A rustle of leaves boldly mirrored our past and present, demonstrating

that little has changed but the reality that the truth has become less heard, talked of, and real. A

Rustling of Leaves asks the main question that revolutionaries and the Filipino Left are grappling with:

should the people's movement continue its guerilla fight or enter legal politics and disclose the

revolution's secret face? A Rustling of Leaves, edited with the intensity of a drama and featuring original

music and animation, weaves these components into a dramatic story told in an accessible manner by a

filmmaker who loves profoundly about her subject.