Small Kid, Small World?

God created the humans with free will. A human being can choose his/her own path, success, and life. There’s no fixed destiny for a person. One can change paths from time to time. How convenient it is. It’s a free will for a free world. A person can live to whatever he/she would like.

Each people have dreams, goals, and ambitions. Accompanied by these are talents and skills. We can use these for the benefit of others or for our own selfish esteems. What happen to people who use their talents and skills badly? In religion, we have Heaven and Hell. People who loved, cared, and used their talents and skills to follow the teachings of Christ go to Heaven while people who abused these precious gifts are sent to hell. But here on Earth, we have something what we call prison. A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms.

The film entitled “Bunso” or “The Youngest” documents the day-to-day life of thousands of child criminals who are locked away to live in horrendous conditions in overcrowded cells with adult prisoners. It highlights the experiences of 13 year old Anthony and 11 year old Diosel and Tisoy (also known as Bunso) as they struggle to survive inside the jail. All three of them had been accused of theft and robbery. Anthony stole money to feed his siblings. Diosel was sent to jail by his father after he got caught stealing from a store. Meanwhile, Bunso, the neglected child, went from begging to stealing money in order to fund his addiction.

Inside the jail, 157 minor prisoners have alternate sleeping schedules to fit in a space suited only for less than a hundred persons. The kids could only get a shower when it rained. They would fight just to get enough food to eat during meal time. In this film, Carolino shows how the kids gradually lose their childhood innocence while drawing attention to the lack of guidance from parents and failure of the justice system in the Philippines.

I felt pity towards these three innocent kids. They were so innocent that they are having a hard time judging their actions: whether they are good or bad. All they think is survival. Another cause of their downfall was their parents’ lack of support and moral education. I could not blame these children.

The most striking part of the film for me was the part where the parent ignored the truth for their children and told them only lies. What an incredible face off. The child is gifted with clarity despite of all the pain, suffering, threats, and jeering. That scene alone says many things about this society we live in and the many myths perpetuated in this culture. Listen to bunso in how did he brought up the issue of rank—even police who have rank get imprisoned for beating others, what more his parents. And the mother replies by pointing out that she outranks the police simply because “I gave birth to you, so I have the right to kill you.” Bunso challenges her to do so and put him out of his misery. They try to shut him up and call his defiance misbehavior. They threaten him with isolation and imprisonment with the “crazies” but he has to speak his truth.

Prison cell is not a good ambience for a child. This may have psychological effects on the child and may cause a lifetime problem for the society. I want these innocent children be properly educated. I want these children know the love of Jesus Christ bestowed upon them.