LOOK BACK: Gatilyo ng Baril

Written by Clarisse P. Marquez

Gatilyo ng Baril was able to stitch two of the most shocking events in Philippine history. It has made reference to Carlito Dimahilig, the man who attempted to assassinate Former First Lady Imelda Marcos using only a bolo, and Rolando Galman, the alleged culprit in Ninoy Aquino’s Assassination.

Let’s talk about one of the most controversial political conspiracies from the short film’s perspective.

In 1972, a man wearing a black suit appeared and started brandishing a short bolo hidden in his sleeve against the wife of President Ferdinand E. Marcos during an awarding ceremony.

There were no security guards to protect Mrs. Marcos when she was attacked. They arrived only after Dimahilig had been crowded by participants in the event. Then he was shot to death.

Although wounds on Mrs Marcos’ hands and arms required 75 stitches, she was not gravely injured.

In the film which was set in 1983, Ms. Estrella investigates the case of Carlito Dimahilig, the assassin who attempted to kill Imelda Marcos. She interviews Rolando Galman, who reveals more than what she needs to know.

That same year (1983), Aquino had sought to return home after 3 years of exile. Notwithstanding that the airport was covered by airtight security of close to 2,000 soldiers, he was shot in the head and waspeppered with bullets. His bulletproof vest was of no advantage.

Within a span of three hours, the military investigators reported that the man who shot Aquino (whose identity was then supposed to be unknown and was revealed only days later as Rolando Galman) was a communist-hired gunman, and that the military escorts gunned him down in turn.

The military later filmed a re-enactment of the killing scripted according to this version and continuously replayed it on all TV channels as if it were taken live on the spot. Then President Marcos, in order to induce disbelief that the military had a hand in the killing, said that if the purpose of the assassination was to eliminate Aquino, this was not the way to do it.

Like gatilyo ng baril or “gun trigger,” the film made it appear that one event had led to the other, and how Galman was used as a pawn is somehow connected to Dimahilig’s case.

In 1986, the Court said that Ninoy’s assassination was the product of a military conspiracy, and the President (alias Olympus) had managed in and from Malacanang Palace “a scripted and pre-determined manner of handling and disposing of the Aquino-Galman murder case;”.

Thus, Galman was merely used as a fall guy for a larger plot which includes the killing of Ninoy Aquino. A plot which Ninoy himself had spoken of before the media, “You have to be ready with your hand camera because this action can become very fast. In a matter of three or four minutes, it could be all over, and I may not be able to talk to you again after this.”

“GATILYO NG BARIL” was directed by Eero Francisco and Glenmark Doromal.