Give Up Tomorrow

A tropical storm batters Cebu as two sisters, Marijoy and Jacqueline, finish work and vanish. Their disappearance triggers a city-wide search and immediate media attention as families await news.

Meanwhile in Manila, Paco Larrañaga, 19, is at a party surrounded by witnesses. The stark contrast between his carefree evening and the sisters' disappearance sets up a clash of timelines in the narrative.

Paco is accused of rapes and murders, and a frenzied media circus casts him as a privileged thug. Public opinion spins quickly, shaping perceptions before evidence is fully weighed.

Investigators uncover photographic and testimonial evidence suggesting Paco was hundreds of miles away from the crime scene, including accounts from the culinary school he attends. The distance challenges the mounting accusations.

Paco is arrested and thrust into a high-profile trial amid intense scrutiny and public pressure. The courtroom becomes a arena where media, politics, and law collide.

The case is framed as a clash of race, class, and political power, and the press amplifies these divisions. The public's heated response amplifies the sense of a national spectacle surrounding the verdict.

Two mothers, each bearing grief and conviction, devote more than a decade to pursuing truth or justice for their children. Their parallel struggles anchor the emotional depth of the film.

Paco is sentenced to death by lethal injection, illustrating a judicial system under pressure and the harsh consequences of the case. The proceedings reveal a mix of capriciousness and malice within the process.

The film exposes roots of miscarriage within governance, law enforcement, and media, painting a broader picture of how injustice can arise from institutional dynamics. These factors complicate the pursuit of truth.

Amnesty International, the government of Spain, Fair Trials International, and the United Nations advocate for a fair process and question the evidence. Their involvement highlights global concern over the case.

The film repeatedly contrasts what people believe happened with what the evidence shows, urging viewers to rely on facts rather than impressions or rumor. This tension lies at the heart of the courtroom drama.

The case becomes a catalyst in the Philippines for ending capital punishment, yet it fails to exonerate Paco. The complex justice landscape leaves a controversial, unresolved outcome.

Give Up Tomorrow closes as an intimate family drama, focusing on the mothers' steadfast struggle and a society wrestling with how justice is pursued and delivered. The film uses this personal lens to critique broader systemic issues.