Award-winning director, Brillante Mendoza, brings us yet another masterpiece with AMO. Amo is a crime miniseries that tackles one of today’s most controversial topics – the Philippine government’s war on drugs.
Brillante Mendoza |
This 12-episode miniseries is set against the background of the country’s War on Drugs and depicts situations including the rampant vigilantism against suspected illegal drug personalities. It features the story of Joseph, a high school student peddling crystal meth or “shabu” initially to his fellow gang members and later on to a much bigger market inMetro Manila. Amo also shows the controversies revolving around the Philippine National Police in the government’s campaign against drugs as well as its role in rightfully enforcing it.
Derek Ramsay |
TV5 President Chot Reyes, Derek Ramsay, Vince Rillon, Brillante Mendoza and Allen Dizon |
Allen Dizon |
Cast and crew of Amo |
Heads of TV 5 and Amo TV Series Cast and Director Brillante Mendoza at the Amo Press Conference held at Seda Hotel, North Vertis , Quezon City |
Leading the cast of this cinematic television creation is Vince Rillon who plays the role of Joseph the young drug peddler and one of the country’s leading actors – Derek Ramsay who plays the role of a good cop. Joining the cast as well are Allen Dizon, Felix Roco, Apollo Abraham, Archie Adamos with the special participation of Baron Geisler.
Amo is yet another dauntless television masterpiece by Brillante Mendoza which reflects TV5’s strong commitment to provides quality differentiated entertainment content.
Catch Brillante Mendoza’s AMO premieres on August 20, 9:30PM every Sunday on TV5.
SYNOPSIS
Set on the background of the Philippine Government’s War On Drugs and the rampant vigilantism against suspected illegal drug personalities, JOSEPH is a high school student peddling crystal meth, locally known as“shabu”, to his fellow gang members. While getting his supplies from a local drug pusher, he and his fellow gang member, JAY, are caught in a hot pursuit operation by the police. A crossfire erupts as the latter escaped the scene while Joseph is brought to the police station together with other drug suspects.
Eventually, Joseph bails out of prison thanks to his junior-ranked police officer uncle, CAMILO (Allen Dizon).
But as the news of Joseph’s alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade spreads within the community, he and his gang are now the target of the local authority’s crackdown on suspected drug users and peddlers, coined as Oplan Tokhang. To save Joseph from further conflict, Camilo uses his influence over the Barangay Captain to strike out his nephew’s name out of the list of suspected drug personalities in the community.
Now with a clear name, Joseph discovers that Jay is a police asset spying on their gang; but too late to save their gang leader, RODEL, and his family from the violent wrath of police vigilantes. With Edgar now assuming the gang’s leadership, they vow to even the score with the traitor. The gang murder’s Jay in a dark alleyway, with Joseph leaving a cardboard note on his lifeless body –
“Adik Ako. Huwag Tularan.”
Days after the Jay’s killing, Joseph transfers to her sister’s apartment in Manila to avoid further conflict with the law. However, he will be introduced to a bigger crime scheme by his brother-in-law, BINO, who is a big time Shabu distributor.
A police encounter led to the killing of HOWARD, a high-end drug peddler who party drugs around clubs in Metro Manila.
GENER, a big time drug lord, orders his subordinate Bino to stop distributing Shabu for the meantime and fill the spot that Howard left. Bino sets-up a meeting with REGGIE and ALEX, club owners of a high-end club in Taguig and tells them his intention to supply party drugs to their patrons.
In return, he will give 20% of the gross sales to Reggie and Alex for allowing the illicit trade to happen inside the club. But for Bino to penetrate the youngsters, he taps Joseph and his friends, Edgar and Tisoy, to serve as his arm in selling the party pill inside the club.
As condition, Bino will give his motorcycle to Joseph if they get the job done.
However, a female customer from a prominent family overdosed herself with the party drug, killing her eventually.
In reaction, an undercover police unit, led by RODRIGO (Derek Ramsay) raids the club and Edgar falls prey to the police entrapment. While Joseph and Tisoy escapes the scene, riding the motorcycle with their supplies.
Right after the incident, Joseph and Tisoy meets Bino in a gasoline station, where the latter instructs Joseph to come with him.
Bino introduces Joseph to Gener as they return the remaining supply of party drugs. As soon as Bino and Joseph got home to Jillian’s apartment, news breaks out that Joseph and Tisoy are now wanted for selling the party pill.
Bino orders Joseph to tell Tisoy to meet them in Maharlikha Village, where Bino lets his friend, RASUL to chop off the parts of the motorcycle to evade police hunt. But little that they know, Tisoy was under surveillance by Rodrigo’s team and was tracked down along his way to Maharlikha Village.
A fire fight breaks loose between the police force lead by Rodrigo and Rasul’s group with the help of Bino. On their way out of the alleyway, Tisoy and Bino are shot dead while Joseph escapes the scene.