Katips

In the 1970s, Greg, Panyong, Art, Alet, Estong, and Susie lead and join a large picket rally with Catholic Church members denouncing the government of Apo. They push for demands including a non-partisan constitutional convention. Ka Manding arrives after a meeting with officials and hints at his daughter returning to the Philippines, signaling the depth of the movement.

METROPOL soldiers arrest Ka Manding for sedition and rebellion. As they drive away, they strangle him and, after making sure there are no witnesses, throw his body down a cliff. The killing becomes a brutal symbol of the crackdown on dissent.

That night, METROPOL returns to the rally site and bathes the crowd in violence, beating protesters with batons and spraying high-pressure water from a fire truck. The crackdown showcases the regime’s willingness to brutalize demonstrators. Fear and determination mix as the movement endures the assault.

Some time after Martial Law is declared, Greg meets Lara at the University of the Philippines. They collect Ka Manding personal belongings from his apartment and then head to the Katips house, a safe haven for students outside past curfew. The meeting grounds the personal toll of political violence in the broader struggle.

Art introduces Lally to Bebang, Susie, and Panyong, who work on the student press. The Katips house becomes a hub where activists stay out past curfew and plan actions. Panyong narrowly escapes capture as METROPOL closes in, underscoring the peril of their work.

Late-night conversations reveal differing views on martial law as Lara debates with Panyong while defending Apo. Alet recounts her love for Ben, a desaparecido who disappeared after a mass action. The group solidifies their resolve as Ka Manding’s death is discussed and remembered.

Protesters gather in front of the La Disilleria distillery to demand fair labor practices. During a shared meal, Alet chides Panyong for being numb to life, and Panyong confesses his love for her. The personal and political threads intertwine amid ongoing tension.

METROPOL officers raid the picket again, arresting Art and Estong. The two disappear and cannot be found in nearby precincts, leaving the protesters distraught and raising fear for their fate.

Weeks later, Panyong and Greg begin packing to return to the mountains as guerilla soldiers for the New People's Army. They commit to continuing the fight even as the regime tightens its grip on the city. The movement shifts toward underground resistance.

Alet is kidnapped by a METROPOL officer and taken to a torture house. Art and Estong are tortured; Ben is revealed to be alive but had betrayed her as part of his job. Alet is beaten and raped by Sales, and the three captives are shot dead.

Greg discovers Alet's mutilated body by a river and, along with Panyong, vows revenge. They head to the mountains to join the resistance and continue the struggle against their oppressors.

Years later, during the People Power Revolution, Lara takes Alet's place as caretaker of the Katips house. Greg, previously presumed dead, returns home to Lara and their son Greggy, rejoining his family after years of separation.

In the present day, Greggy visits the Bantayog ng mga Bayani as a lawyer for martial law victims and Panyong serves as the museum curator. The elderly student activists from the 1970s arrive to inaugurate Bantayog ng mga Bayani, linking past sacrifices to current memory and justice.