The Crime of Padre Amaro

A Film Analysis of Human sexuality
By Rolland B. Hayag

This movie is fantastic, but if I have to be given an opportunity to change the title, I rather write this title “The Stupid Padre Amaro”. Well this movie reflects the everyday life, not only the priest but the pastor’s of the protestant churches as well. A lot of pastors I have been with are having the same experience not only Padre Amaro’s life but also the life of the two priest, Padre Benito and the Community Organizer Padre Natalio, who is an ideal type of priest, though we know he is a man and he had the urge of sensuality, but his devotion to his ministry is more balance and focus. Our present Church structure hides and protect its image by hiding stupid act like padre Amaro did and Padre Benito and ignore the victim, such as the church and the victims of the drugs. The lower rank are more easy to excommunicate but the higher rank such as the elders of the Priesthood is untouchables, they among themselves hides the truth, it is like a brotherhood, in which one of their motto is “secrecy”.
Anyway going back to the movie, thus father Amaro is innocent or not? That is a question raise among children of the UTS, I did have an answer to that just for the sake of discussion, but it gathered a lot of violent reaction. Father Amaro did have a crime in a sense that he mastered plan the killing of a child that in return, it pays a pain and sin, and he was so troubled when he realized that it was not only the child he was trying to kill but eventually it was also Maria. But if we talk about the about sex, in the Filipino context we have a song it says “Ang tao’y marupok kay daling lumimot”, but I believed they have that right to express their feelings, yet I see it as irresponsible urge, I rather choose to go out of my priesthood to follow my heart, but the action done by Amaro was unwise following his greed of position, of being afraid to lose his career.
Now let’s talk about father Benito, he is a man of great position, thought for me his relationship with a woman is valid and understandable, yet his conniving with a drug Lord is different, I know it is hard to be a friend of a known drug lord and the hardest part is that when you know he is and yet still befriend with a drug lord and forgot your duty as a priest. I have experience the same dilemma in the church, if you choose to be a pastor and act as a pastor; yours and the life of your family will be threatened. Well as of now we are well, though we live in fear because I choose to be a pastor.

This movie if I rank it, it will be 10, tremendously excellent!