WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Batman (2022), directed by Matt Reeves.
The average Filipino is all-too-familiar with the concept of corruption. It is a problem that we often hear or read about in the news, a constant itch that the Philippine government scratches. It is one of the many problems in the Philippines and our current situation makes things worse.
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., our presumptive president, is the son of the ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The dictator is known for his 8-year Martial Law Regime while the Marcos family is known for their ill-gotten wealth. He partnered with presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte, daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte who is infamous for claiming lives through extrajudicial killings.
With these two people poised at occupying the highest seats in the country, some may see no good future if they stay here. Filipinos who consider starting a new life abroad face a similar choice that the main characters make at the end of this film.
Corruption is indeed deeply entrenched in the way our government works. Still, it can be hard to create a picture of how exactly corruption works, especially when all we have is data and news articles. Enter, one of this year’s new releases exclusively in theaters. Out of all the things I expected in a superhero movie, The Batman’s take on realistic social problems such as corruption presents a clear picture of how vile and how disappointing it is, with notable parallels to our country’s situation.
Unlike in previous iterations of the character, the story took place two years after Bruce started being Batman. Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), his father figure and longtime butler, was his sole companion. He became Batman to avenge the murder of his parents and to try to bring order to Gotham City. Then-Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) was his only ally within the Gotham City Police Department.
Cases of murder, robberies, and assault were on the rise, and the story began with the gruesome murder of the city’s mayor, Don Mitchell, Jr. (Rupert Penry-Jones) — the start of a string of murders of key officials in the government. Between the murders of Police Commissioner Pete Savage (Alex Ferns) and District Attorney Gil Colson (Peter Sarsgaard), Batman eventually discovered a connection to something his parents did in their lifetime.
Before his subsequent death, Batman’s father, Thomas Wayne, made a bid to become the city’s mayor. To further his campaign, he created the Gotham City Renewal Fund: a charitable program meant for the advancement of public works. The program was meant to serve this purpose whether Thomas won the election or not.
Upon Thomas and his wife, Martha’s death, the program started, becoming a means for the city’s top officials and local crime lords to launder money. The Mayor, the Police Commissioner, and the Police Chief, and District Attorney were all involved in this scheme, along with the city’s major Crime Bosses.
The Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam or the Pork Barrel Scam of 2013 is, in principle, the same thing. Members of the Congress of the Philippines were involved in the misuse of their PDAF, a discretionary fund made available to members of congress. The 28 members were named as participants of the scam, allocating their pork barrels to bogus non-government organizations, all linked to the businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
An article by Nancy Carvajal of the Philippine Daily Inquirer lists the following members of Congress as involved in the scam: Bong Revilla, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, Bongbong Marcos, Conrado Estrella III, Edgar L. Valdez, Rodolfo Plaza, Erwin Chiongbian, Samuel Dangwa, Robert Raymund Estrella, and Gregorio Honasan. Of the 12 lawmakers, only Revilla, Enrile, and Estrada received plunder charges. The Sandiganbayan dismissed the charges against Revilla on December 7, 2018, while Enrile's and Estrada’s cases remain pending.
Meanwhile, the murderer included a second detail related to Batman’s parents. His mother’s family, the Arkhams, another wealthy Gotham family, used their power and influence to cover up their troubling past in time for Thomas’ mayoral campaign, preserving the idea that the Waynes were perfect, upstanding citizens of Gotham. The murderer uncovered this information through journalist Edward Elliot’s work.
Elliot’s case was what completely shattered Bruce’s perception of his parents. Elliot planned to expose what he learned about the Waynes, so Thomas attempted a bribe that Elliot refused. Because of this, Thomas asked help from one of the crime bosses, Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). With that, Carmine got the job done, making the story and the journalist himself disappear.
Journalists in the Philippines are at risk of suffering Edward Elliot’s fate. Our country remains on the list of the most dangerous countries for journalists, ranking 7th in a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists. It is common for one to hear about the death of a journalist in the country, the most recent one being the death of Jesus “Jess” Malabanan in his home at Calbayog, Samar Province. A CNN article about Malabanan’s death also indicates that at least 187 journalists have been killed in the past 35 years, according to the Presidential task Force on Media Security.
These discoveries and a conversation with a recovering Alfred, led Bruce to realize that vengeance is not the right motivation for his becoming Batman. Instead, it is in the belief that Gotham can be saved, that he can give Gotham City hope.
After the murderer took the life of Falcone, his last victim, Batman and the police pursued for his arrest, to no avail. The murderer later surrendered to the police, sitting at a nondescript restaurant. However, Gotham was not safe from trouble yet. The murderer identified himself as “The Riddler” (Paul Dano) among his online group of followers — the murderer had a final plot against the people of Gotham. His radicalized followers set out to kill the city’s lone mayoral candidate, Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson) who was holding a campaign event while a series of timed explosions hit Gotham City’s seawall, causing a massive flood.
The combined efforts of Batman, Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Lt. Gordon, and the police saved Reál’s life and the city from complete flooding. After averting the destruction that The Riddler and his followers tried to exact on the city, Batman decided to stay in Gotham, despite Catwoman urging him to join her in Bludhaven, a neighboring city. “The city can change,” Batman said, “I have to try.”
Filipinos today are faced with the same decision that Batman made. The idea of leaving the country and its problems behind has likely crossed the minds of many, especially after the results of the recently concluded national elections. We cannot blame Catwoman, whose decision to leave opened her life to better possibilities, especially after she lost everything that mattered to her. Batman, on the other hand, recognized that he can still make a difference, that there are still people in Gotham like him who want a better life for the city.
The film made an excellent portrayal of the reality of corruption — that even those we thought to be incorruptible, under the worst kind of circumstances, are capable of committing it. At the same time, it sets an example for us Filipinos. Much like Batman, we must stay in the country in the hopes of making a difference, despite the appeal of seeking better opportunities overseas. We are not alone in hoping for a better Philippines, either. Corruption may have a tight grip on the country, but it is within our power as its citizens to demand change and accountability from our leaders.
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