The prime-time drama by ABS-CBN, Dirty Linen, released earlier this year has long since dominated the social media sphere. Directed by Onat Diaz and Andoy Ranay, the trending revenge series earned praise on its story-telling and topnotch acting from its wealth of outstanding rising and celebrated actors in the same way that it stimulated multiple discussions and theories on its somewhat familiar plot and characters.
Played by the main stellar casts of Janine Gutierrez, Joel Torre, Tessie Tomas, Janice De Belen, Zanjoe Marudo, and teen actors Seth Fedelin, and Francine Diaz, the series’ premise centers on a woman’s plotting for hellish revenge against an aristocratic family that wronged her and her family.
The well-received suspense has long since drew the attention of numerous audiences as it garnered one billion online views across Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, iWanTFC, and Kapamilya Online Live.
Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN Entertainment.
With its continuous current of recognition in the online world, together with the netizen’s keen eye for symbolism, the drama series was renowned as the most socio-political show our country has seen in a while.
One popular notion among internet viewers is that Tomas‘ portrayal of Doña Cielo, the matriarch and head of the wealthiest and most powerful family in Alhambra, mirrors that of the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos.
During the first two episodes, her persona was portrayed as a devoutly religious woman with many skeletons on the cupboard and, undeniably, pushed by circumstances, became the mastermind behind her own ferocious puppet performance in which her family participates—and this brilliant enactment stunned the politically-perceptive community of Filipino social media.
Twitter account, @ALTStarMagic, attached two photos that seemingly suggest Doña Cielo’s pray-over scene similar to a certain event in Marcos’ life. Many claimed that the resemblance is indeed uncanny, and a bold nod to an actual event.
In another tweet, the account highlighted a particular scene in their tweet in which Tomas’ character was seen singing the kundiman whilst standing on the corpses of the victims her family has unjustifiably slain:
This particular scene reminded multiple viewers of the controversial story behind the Manila Theater tragedy where workers are suspected to be buried alive.
Another tweet expressed her observation of the scene’s resemblance to the real-life tragedy story by accentuating the transitions of the victim’s remains to the people celebrating above with little to no concern at all.
The former first lady’s details are astonishingly similar to those in a set of screenshots from the episode uploaded by Twitter user in which she conveyed how the show didn’t hold back with the series of obvious parallelisms.
Aside from the preceding details, the correlating dates, including the days of the murders and Marcos’ birth may also be recognized. There are still ongoing debates over whether or not it is completely coincidental or a deliberate attempt to re-tell history with a work of fiction.
New avenues for extreme involvement in societal issues have opened as a result of the digitalization of every aspect of our lives, particularly for those who live in politically divisive nations. Along with a timely and captivating series production, the platform’s ability to connect people served as transforming catalysts for conversations in understanding societal conditions in the Philippines.