UNO Magazine September 2010

Posted by admin at August 27th, 2010

ON THE COVER
Very special thanks to Rhian Ramos and Gaby Dela Merced, for being our cover subjects for this special issue, and helping us in our continuing efforts to call for justice for the murders of Alexis Tioseco and Nika Bohinc. Rhian was glad to be of help, and described their deaths as “a tragic loss.”  And as Gaby said of Alexis and Nika in her interview, “They both lived to make a difference, but it’s our turn to make our own contribution.”

And here is a note from our editor.

Have Fun With Ramon Bautista

Posted by shawn at September 3rd, 2010

“I wish R.A. Rivera gets to make his first feature soon.” Alexis Tioseco

Eggy

Posted by Denise at September 2nd, 2010

Illustration by Jester Pamulaklakin

To Those Who Remembered, Who Chose Not To, Who Came, Who Couldn’t Make It, Who Are Still Here

Posted by Erwin Romulo at September 2nd, 2010

…a reminder via the wisdom of Bobby Balingit

It’s been a year…

Posted by Denise at September 1st, 2010

Goodbye Cinema, Hello Cinephilia

Posted by ramon at September 1st, 2010

One of Alexis’ heroes was film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum. His latest collection, Goodbye Cinema, Hello Cinephilia: Film Culture in Transition (The University of Chicago Press) is already out in some stores in the United States. In the catalogue, its given release date is October 2010.

The book is dedicated to the memory of Alexis and Nika.

(Photo by Lia Martinez)

Alexis Tioseco, Film Critic, 1981-2009

Posted by Erwin Romulo at August 30th, 2010

Alexis Tioseco was a constant on ANC’s weekly media affairs show Media in Focus, hosted by Cheche Lazaro and produced by Patricia Evangelista. He was meant to take over as host for several episodes in October 2009. He was murdered, along with Slovenian film journalist, Nika Bohinc, at his home on Times St. on September 1.

The man who killed Alexis Tioseco

Posted by shawn at August 29th, 2010

MANILA, Philippines—The arrested man had the face of a killer. Shifting eyes, tangled hair, cheeks so thin the bones sliced sharp against skin. At the time of his incarceration, he was the father of nine, with one more on the way.

His name is Danilo D. Jomoc Sr., born 47 years ago to a farmer and his wife in Inopacan, Leyte. His education includes several years in Macagoco Elementary School, and not much else. In 1989, he applied for an opening in Agila Gas, a fuel trucking business owned by a man named Leonardo Tioseco.

When Tioseco died in 2007, his son Alexis took over, the only child left in the Philippines after the family immigrated to Canada. Jomoc had known Alexis since he was 15.

At four in the afternoon of Sept. 5, 2009, the man with the face of a killer was arrested for the double murder of Alexis and his girlfriend Nika Bohinc.

Read the rest of Patricia Evangelista’s column from the Philippine Daily Inquirer (08/28/2010)

There are Many Ways of Remembering

Posted by Erwin Romulo at August 27th, 2010

I wish this issue didn’t have to exist.

It’s been a year since our good friends Alexis Tioseco and Nika Bohinc were murdered in their home. Up until now, there has been no movement on the case and none of us know why they were killed. All I know is that it wasn’t a robbery and that the authorities have not done a proper investigation. I should know. Along with the Tioseco family, I’ve met too many police officials, bureaucrats, investigators, lawyers, politicians, psychics, and inept people named Agnes to say otherwise.

Alexis, in particular, meant a lot to those of us here in UNO. He’d even sit in during our editorial meetings. (See picture.) He was very much a part of what this magazine was all about, why we all chose to take on the challenge of doing it. But our friendship with him went well beyond working together. At least for me, he was no less than a brother. And I’m lucky that I was able to tell him that I loved him before he died. I told it to him quite often actually and he never gave up on me even when I gave up on myself.

It’s also with heavy hearts that we mark the recent death of another friend, cinematographer Miguel Fabie III. Miguel wrote to me last year, shortly after Alexis died. The letter is excerpted below:

Dear Erwin—

I met [Alexis] after one of the first screenings of Batang West Side—he approached me, introduced himself, commended me, then slowly… in editing lingo—“dissolved to black.” That was my first feature film and though he sounded like he knew what he was talking about, I was taken aback by this young punk who seemed so sincere and passionate that my selective-memoried brain decided to keep him in its archives.

Anyway, in his case praise came across not as something to feed my ego but actually inspired me to better my craft. The same way Eddie Romero did on our first introduction when he commented about the same flick (Batang W.S.)—“Young man, either you’re extremely stupid and just plain lucky, or a genius”… To this day, I am trying to prove it’s not the former. The latter is something I believe is a DNA thing; you can’t work to be a genius, but you CAN work to be a better cinematographer/writer/musician/doctor ON YOUR OWN TERMS.

In [his famous letter], Alexis hoped that he and Nika would be together in/’till “the end.” Maybe they’re just beginning, but if this is the first step toward that direction or a major leap to the eternal we have yet to find out for ourselves in OUR own time, willingly or otherwise. Wake up call: get ready to be willing.

May we ALL rest in peace, in WHATEVER stage or phase in life.

Peace,
Miguel

I couldn’t agree with Miguel more though it’s tough for those of us they left behind.

In that Alexis-written piece reprinted in this issue in its definitive form, he says that “There’s a line in Aguila where a Moro secessionist is told his cause is lost. He replies that winning doesn’t matter, it’s doing what one feels one should do. That’s wisdom for you.”

With this issue we mourn, we mark, we reminisce, we remind. Let not another year pass before justice is done. We fight, not just against forgetfulness and the apathy that follows, but because it is what we feel we should do.

Here’s to Alexis, Nika and Miguel. And, yes, we’ll keep on going no matter what. ‘Till we hopefully meet again.

Erwin Romulo
Editor-in-Chief

UNO Online: At Your Service

Posted by RJ Ledesma at August 27th, 2010

We here at UNO would just like to thank all of you who bought our August issue and sent us so much great feedback and praises. Yup, we serve at your pleasure. And we can promise you more adventures in the coming issues. We hope you continue to fly with us.

(And, Phoemela is just so gorgeous, isn’t she? Book us for a return flight!)