Column: film '58th' revisits family's fight to have missing massacre victim recognised
An Edge Davao 'Amicus Curiae' column reviews the animated docu-drama on photojournalist Reynaldo Momay, whose killing in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre has yet to be legally recognised.
The Maguindanao massacre should be remembered as having 58 victims, not 57, argues a columnist writing in Edge Davao's "Amicus Curiae" column. The columnist made the case after watching "58th," an animated docu-drama about the legal fight of the daughter of photojournalist Reynaldo "Bebot" Momay.
The column recalls that a convoy of 58 people, including 32 journalists, was killed in 2009 while on its way to file a certificate of candidacy for Esmael Mangudadatu, then vice mayor of Buluan, who was challenging Datu Andal "Unsay" Ampatuan Jr. for the Maguindanao governorship. In December 2019, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 convicted Ampatuan Jr., his brother Zaldy Ampatuan and others, including senior police officers, for the murder of 57 people.
Momay, a photographer for the Sultan Kudarat-based Midland Review, would have been the 58th. Because his remains were never found at the site, the trial court acquitted the accused of his murder on reasonable doubt. According to the column, his daughter Reynafe Momay-Castillo, with CenterLaw Philippines, is pursuing the case before the Court of Appeals.
"I want the next generation to know what happened," Momay-Castillo said in an interview quoted in the column, adding that the aim was not to pass on anger or grief but an appreciation of truth and justice.
Directed by Carl Joseph Papa, who co-wrote the screenplay with Aica Riz Ganhinhin, the film uses rotoscoping animation blended with archival news footage. Glaiza de Castro voices Momay-Castillo, while the late Ricky Davao voices Momay in one of his final roles.
The column notes that the film premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival and the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival before its Philippine debut at the Cinemalaya festival on August 13, 2026. It was initially denied a permit for commercial screenings over concerns that it could influence ongoing legal cases, but was later shown at Shangri-La Plaza from September 16 to 22, 2026.
"Through this film, we give voice to the victims and the families affected by the massacre," de Castro said, as quoted in the column.
Why it matters for Davao
The column highlights an unresolved part of the deadliest single attack on journalists on record, which targeted a convoy in Mindanao and included a Sultan Kudarat-based photojournalist.
This article was written by the DavaoNews desk with AI assistance, using reporting by Edge Davao. Facts come from the original report, which we credit and link below. Our editorial policy
Discussion (0)
Sign in with Google to join the discussion.
Sign in to commentNo comments yet. Start the conversation.