Teen Actor Kokoy De Santos Tapped To Play Lead Role In Film About Child Trafficking, 'Tumbang Preso'

MANNY VALERA is proud that one of his talents, Kokoy Desantos, has been tapped to play the lead role in the socially relevant indie film, “Tumbang Preso”, an expose on the ills of child trafficking and exploitation. Kokoy auditioned and bagged the role of Carlo, a probinsiyano who is enticed by a recruiter to come to Manila with his cousin, Therese Malvar (the girl who won as CineFilipino filmfest best actress last year for ‘Huling Chacha ni Anita”), on the pretext that they will be scholars in a leading university. They end up as child laborers in a sleazy sardines factory where the ‘kapatas’, Ronnie Lazaro, maltreats them.

The movie is written and directed by Kip Oebanda, the production designer in Yeng Constantino’s award-winning “Shift” and assistant director in Cinema One’s “Bukas na Lang Sapagkat Gabi Na”. “Tumbang Preso” is based on his actual experiences as an NGO worker who rescued exploited child workers in 1998 in Manila and in 2011 in Zamobanga.

“Yung role ni Kokoy is based on a boy na talagang paulit-ulit tumatakas kahit nahuhuli siya’t nagugulpi,” says Kip. “We present the story as a suspense-thriller. In contrast to Kokoy, Terry Malvar is the victim who’s afflicted with Stockholm Syndrome. Tahimik na tinatanggap ang fate niya at naniniwalang concerned talaga sa welfare nila ang mga nagpapahirap sa kanila. Also in the movie are Jaclyn Jose as the doctor who helps the oppressed kids, Kean Cipriano as the lookout na nagbabantay sa mga bata, Shamaine Buencamino as the shopkeeper na takbuhan ng mga bata, Kerbie Zamora, Dominic Roco and Ron Cieno as the older kids na nagsilaking ine-exploit sila.”

“Tumbang Preso” is Kokoy’s most important film to date. He started as a child actor when he was 11 doing TV commercials, then branched into movies in Chito Rono’s “Emir” as the brother of Frencheska Farr, “Mumunting Lihim” as the son of Judy Ann Santos, and “Bromance” as the young Zanjoe Marudo. On TV, he did “Kidlat” and “Pidol’s Wonderland” for TV5, “Dyosa” and MMK for ABS-CBN, “Aso ni San Pedro”, “Makapiling Kang Muli”, “Futbolilits” and “My Husband’s Lover” for GMA-7. He’s 15 years old and is now a college freshman taking up communications at the International School of Hotel and Restaurant Management in Bacoor, Cavite. Aside from acting, he also sings and dances well. “Tumbang Preso” won in the Manila Film Finance Forum and part of its prize is for it to be shown in SM Cinemas where it opens on October 8.