Drifting away from short films, Raymund Ribay Gutierrez's breakthrough movie,

"Verdict", is indeed a realistic legal drama that sheds a greater emphasis on the
Philippine legal system. It is all about Joy, a mother and her daughter who are
subjected to domestic violence by Dante, the abusive husband, whose drinking-
fueled aggression drives Joy to her bursting point. After being severely beaten,
she intends to take her daughter and call the authorities. The film's underlying
message begins with the excruciatingly grueling process of dealing with the
bureaucratic system that is trying to address her problem. It is really interesting
and informative as a whole, and it is enticing to see how the justice system
operates.

Joy's quest for her rights with the close-proximity lensing is investigated by an
overburdened, inefficient, and hostile system. She is compelled to narrate her
traumatic events in a social context with her assailant while her wounds are
treated, highlighting how painful the legal system's phases are from the very
beginning. She has to go through several steps which include dealing with a
chaotic administration that doesn't want her to submit a lawsuit, as well as her
neighbors' hesitation to testify Joy's sufferings. It's frequently exasperating,
especially when the annoying local cops get engaged, asking Joy why she can't
just talk to Dante about her problem in a civil manner, all leading to a dramatic
and terrifying finish.

As a Filipino, seeing this procedural film would leave you disheartened with the
court system that is supposed to protect our rights and keep us safe. If we're
poor, even if we've been clearly harmed, everyone who should be helping you
seems inept and uncaring. In the case of Joy, her only true ally is her lawyer,
who is fully dedicated in her work and always gives her all. Dante, on the other
hand, has been in connection with a lawyer who happens to be familiar with
this type of case and is clearly more experienced than Joy's. In the end,
unfortunately, she is dealt with disdain and antipathy because she lacks the
funds and resources to make the system work for her.

All in all, the film is well-paced; there is also no moment for boredom, and the
scenes are chronologically accurate. Raymund Ribay Gutierrez's film strives to
raise awareness of the struggles that a woman may face in order for her voice to
be heard most especially in the Philippines, a country wherein the legal system
appears to be sluggish and sexism is still pervasive.