TRANSLATE
Fifteen years ago, sisters Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong, daughters of a wealthy Filipino-Chinese trucking magnate, were kidnapped near a mall in Cebu. Marijoy was found in a ravine, having been raped and killed; Jacqueline’s body has never been found. This case was an all-consuming media circus in the late 1990s in the Philippines.
Arrested and charged with the crime were seven young men, including 19-year-old Francisco ‘Paco’ Juan Larranaga, a young student attending culinary school. Despite credible evidence pointing to Paco’s innocence and numerous inconsistencies during the trial and subsequent appeals, he was nevertheless convicted of the crime. He continues to be jailed to this day. ‘Give Up Tomorrow’ is Paco’s slogan, his mantra in his quest to prove his innocence. Director Michael Collins and Philippines-born producer Marty Syjuco have crafted a riveting tale of a young man’s struggle and a piercing case study of political and judicial corruption.
