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[REVIEW] “Beyond the Activist: Discovering the Man Behind Katski Flores’s Edjop” by Bryan Elijah Trajano

Katski Flores (director). Edjop, 2026. 122 min.

Martial Law remains one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history, marked by political repression, violence, and the suppression of the Filipino people’s voices. It was during this turbulent period that many young Filipinos, including student activists, stood against the injustices they witnessed. Among the well-known student activists of this period were Liliosa Hilao, Archimedes Trajano, Lean Alejandro, Lorena Barros, and many others whose lives became symbols of the struggles faced by Filipino youth under the dictatorship. Another prominent figure was Edgar Jopson, also known as “Edjop”, whose life and activism are portrayed in Katski Flores’s film Edjop. The film, which was five years in the making, brings Edgar Jopson’s story and legacy to the big screen.

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The film begins in 1982, with Edgar “Edjop” Jopson (Elijah Canlas) being hunted by the Philippine government as one of the country’s most wanted political activists. While attempting to evade arrest, he is killed during a military encounter. The story then shifts to 2019, when Joyette Jopson (Jodi Sta. Maria), Edjop’s second child and a triathlete, is competing in a marathon in the North. During the race, her brother Noy calls and asks her to attend a tribute to their father. However, Joyette declines the invitation, using the marathon as an excuse even though she could have arrived at the tribute on time.

Joyette harbours resentment towards her father because he died when she was only three years old. Having grown up without him, she struggles to understand and accept the man he was and the choices he made as an activist. To her, it feels as though her own father abandoned her, leaving her with unresolved feelings of anger, longing, and grief. As the story progresses, however, Joyette begins to discover more about her father and the life he led. Her journey becomes more than simply learning about Edjop. It becomes a process of discovering her own roots and understanding the choices that shaped her family.

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As I watched the film, I appreciated how Joyette’s and Edjop’s lives were portrayed throughout the story. The film provides a clear depiction of Joyette’s journey from resentment to understanding. At first, she sees Edjop primarily as the father who was absent during her formative years. As she learns more about him, she gradually begins to see him not only as a political activist but also as a person with his own beliefs, relationships, and struggles. This makes Joyette’s journey deeply personal because she is not simply discovering a historical figure. She is discovering the father she never had the chance to know.

The use of marathon terms such as “multi-loop” and “relay” also strengthens Joyette’s story. The marathon becomes more than an activity in which she participates. It symbolises her attempt to move forward while carrying a past she has tried to avoid. Throughout the film, she attempts to evade questions from people who know of her father’s courage and his fight for the rights of voiceless and oppressed Filipinos during the Marcos regime. As she learns more about Edjop, however, she becomes increasingly willing to confront his history. At the same time, the film traces Edjop’s development from a belief in reformism to his eventual embrace of revolutionary change.

The film’s portrayal of historical events is particularly effective, especially in the scene set in 1970 during the First Quarter Storm, when Edjop, then president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, engages in a dialogue with Ferdinand Marcos. During their meeting at Malacañang, Edjop challenges Marcos to put in writing his commitment not to seek a third term. Edjop and the other student leaders express their concerns about the political and social crisis unfolding in the country. However, Marcos dismisses him and refers to him as the “son of a grocer”. For me, this scene effectively demonstrates Edjop’s courage as a young student leader willing to confront a powerful political figure. The film also portrays other significant historical events, such as the 1975 La Tondeña Distillery Strike, which provide a broader picture of the social and political conditions surrounding Edjop. These experiences help explain how his political beliefs developed and eventually shifted from reformism towards revolutionary activism.

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The film also explores Joyette’s family history through her mother, Joy Jopson. Kakie Pangilinan portrays the younger Joy, while Menchu Lauchengco portrays her later in life. Joy subsequently remarried another revolutionary, Romulo Kintanar, in 1987. Joyette explicitly acknowledges that Kintanar became the father figure in her life after Edjop died when she was only three years old. Kintanar himself was later assassinated in 2003, when Joyette was already an adult. This aspect of the story gives Joyette another perspective from which to understand her father and the choices he made. It also demonstrates how activism and revolutionary politics remained intertwined with her family even after Edjop’s death. Through Joyette’s experiences, the film demonstrates that political struggles affect not only activists themselves but also the families and loved ones they leave behind.

Katski Flores effectively captures Edgar Jopson’s life, from his privileged upbringing as the son of a grocer and his studies at Ateneo de Manila University to his transformation into a committed activist who eventually went underground and joined the Communist Party of the Philippines. The film depicts his development from a curious child who questioned why some people were rich while others were poor into someone who actively fought against the social inequalities and injustices he witnessed. What makes his journey compelling is that his privileged upbringing did not prevent him from recognising the struggles of ordinary Filipinos. Instead, it became part of his growing realisation that social inequality was deeply rooted in the system.

I also appreciated how the film presents Edjop’s political transformation as a gradual process. He does not immediately become the revolutionary figure seen later in the story. His experiences as a student activist, his encounters with political leaders, and his exposure to the struggles of workers and ordinary Filipinos gradually shape his beliefs. This makes Edjop’s character more complex because his activism is presented as something shaped by both his personal experiences and the political conditions surrounding him.

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The performances also make the story more impactful. Elijah Canlas portrays Edjop not only as a political activist but also as a son, husband, father, and brother who must make difficult decisions because of his beliefs. He conveys Edjop’s courage, grit, and determination while also portraying his compassion for the people around him. Canlas also captures Edjop’s awareness of his privilege as he fights against the injustices experienced by Filipinos during the Martial Law era.

Kakie Pangilinan effectively portrays the younger Joy Jopson, conveying her strength and determination as she supports those around her while standing up for what she believes is right. Menchu Lauchengco, as the older Joy, presents a more mature version of the character, shaped by years of experience and by the consequences of the choices made by the people she loved. Meanwhile, Jodi Sta. Maria effectively conveys Joyette’s resentment, confusion, and eventual willingness to understand her father. Through her performance, the film becomes more personal because it depicts not only Edjop’s activism but also the family he left behind.

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Overall, Edjop is more than a film about the life of a political activist. It is a story about family, sacrifice, and the struggles of Filipino youth who stood against injustice. Joyette’s journey allows the audience to understand Edjop not simply as a historical figure but as a person who had dreams, relationships, and a family deeply affected by his choices.

What I appreciated most about the film is how it presents history from both political and personal perspectives. Edjop’s story portrays the courage of a young Filipino who became increasingly aware of the injustices around him and chose to fight for what he believed was right. Meanwhile, Joyette’s story reveals the emotional consequences of activism for the families left behind. Through their stories, Edjop reminds us that the history of Martial Law is not only about political events and activists but also about the lives, relationships, sacrifices, and memories of the people affected by it. For me, the film serves as an important reminder that the stories of those who fought for freedom and justice should continue to be remembered, especially by younger generations who did not experience Martial Law themselves.

^{How to cite: Trajano, Bryan Elijah. “Beyond the Activist: Discovering the Man Behind Katski Flores’s Edjop.” Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, 17 Sept. 2026, chajournal.com/2026/09/17/edjop.}

Bryan Elijah Trajano earned his MA in Philippine Studies, Language, Culture, and Media from De La Salle University in 2024, following the completion of his AB in International Studies at Far Eastern University in 2017. By day, he works as a Customer Service Officer in an Australian BPO, and by night and on weekends, he devotes himself to his passions for watching films and reading books. Bryan has presented his research at various academic conferences and has published several critical reviews and scholarly works. Deeply curious about global cultures, he enjoys exploring diverse traditions and narratives through media and literature. He is a member of the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers and the Beach Reads Book Club. [All contributions by Bryan Elijah Trajano.]