“Fidel,” male rape

“Fidel” tackles about the tacit reality about the predicament of Filipino males in the Middle East like being molested and raped by their Arab employers. Most of them return to the Philippines hiding the cruelty and humiliated to divulge painful experiences to their families and friends. Director Mark Shandii Bacolod expertly presents the story in an intelligent and entertaining full-length featured “Fidel.”

Fidel (Lance Raymundo) is the boy-next-door type who grew up with a loving family. He was the president of his religion class in high school and was very active in socio-civic projects in college. His profile doesn’t fit the picture of a killer--and yet he admitted the crime of killing his Arab employer (Jon Hall).

Vega (Andrea del Rosario) is lady reporter who is bent on doing a full story about Fidel and the government officials trying to help him. But Fidel doesn’t want to cooperate. Sister Lourdes (Snooky Serna), the nun who works for an NGO which helps OFWs, talks to him regularly to draw him out. Soon Fidel opens up and shares his painful experience with his employer: Rape!

The revelation adds to Sister Lourdes’ desire to help Fidel. She now understands why Fidel would rather be called a killer because it is such a shame for a man to be raped by another man.

With Father Allan’s connection, Sister Lourdes and Vega started a massive media campaign to free Fidel. This irritates Fidel because he doesn’t want to be freed. He feels life is over for him the day he killed his employer. He accepted his fate--that he will be sentenced to death.

Other members of the casts are Jao Mapa, Fonz Deza, Von Arroyo, Nonoy Froilan, Marife Necesito, and Maria Isabel Lopez.