FALLEN NOT FORGOTTEN: The Untold Story of the
Gallant SAF 44 (Documentary)
In 2015, President Noynoy Aquino authorized OPLAN
EXODUS, the Philippines’ attempt to neutralize and capture Marwan, an
international terrorist in the FBI’s Most Wanted List, in hiding in Mamasapano,
Maguindanao. The mission involved only the SPECIAL ACTION FORCE (SAF) of the
police and a few high ranking officials close to the President. No
coordination with the military or local officials in the area was done.
However, the operation, though successful in its
objective, suffered heavy casualities—44 SAF men to be exact. Some blame the
enemies’ advantage since they were familiar with the terrain. Some blame the
miscommunication and lack of coordination. Some blame the blantant disregard for lives in
order to satisfy an agenda. The question: what went wrong? Could it have
been avoided? Was it worth it? The
narrative is told from recollections of the men who survived, officials who
were part of the planning, and observers and critics as they try to shed light
and answer these questions.
A successful documentary is a perfect balance
between showing what really happened and the creative representation so viewers
will not only be better informed but be more involved. Fallen Not
Forgotten, The Untold Story of SAF 44, does not really provide anything
new that one cannot find out online or in the news. After years of controversy,
we would have already formed our respective opinions on the issue.
However, hearing the stories of the actual people who were involved in Oplan
Exodus lends it more relevance in our reality than just being part of the pages
of our history books. The interviews gave a good perspective and insight
from those who were on the ground, those who were part of the planning, those
who were just observers and those who critique what happened. Some of the
survivors of the Mamasapano encounter actually took part in reenacting some
scenes in the documentary and the experience proved to be an emotional moment
for the troopers.
One can also appreciate that the presentation did
not bank on drama or emotional blackmail to prove a point. Did it point
fingers? Probably, but it is inevitable because facts narrated were corroborated
by the conclusion. It was necesssary to produce this documentary because at a
certain point in our history facts will be forgotten and misinterpreted, thus we
lose our chance to learn from mistakes. There
were lapses and loose ends in the production both in the documentaries and the
reenactments, but taken as a whole, the film delivered.
Nobody wins in a war. Nobody—even if the objective
is achieved and victory is gained. The aftermath of irreparable trauma,
massive destruction, and countless deaths cannot be compensated by political or
economic gains. But in this political world, acts of war are inevitable. While
there is no humane way to go through it, we expect leaders to exercise outmost
compassion and discernment in decision making. The biggest mistake (at least as
shown in the film) is the leaders’ incompetent communication before and during
the operations, and unimaginable display of insensitivity after. The documentary also seemed to deliberately avoid
echoing the questions in the mind of the public then, such as “Where did the
bounty on Marwan’s head go?” Instead, the film emphasized heroism and
commitment to service. As Senator Honasan said, no public servant, other than
the police and military, has a social contract to offer or sacrifice his life
for the sake of the people. This reminder is timely because after all the
stereortyping of the police and military as corrupt and violent brusque
bullies, we realize that those—and many do—who have the heart for service
willingly lay down their lives for the country’s sake.
Caelestis Productions, Inc. Executive Producers: ATTY. FELIPE CRUZ, SALLY
JO BELLOSILLO Director/Cinematographer: ADRIAN BELIC
Director: SALLY JO BELLOSILLO
Co-Director/Edit Producer: EMILE GUERTIN
Producer: MARICEL REDUCTO
Assistant Director: CHRIS ALMEDA
Editor: CHA ESCALA Associate
Producer: PAMELA CARBONELL Media Partner: CNN PHILIPPINES
To view the trailer, please click on the link:
To view the trailer, please click on the link:
