Cheyenne Suarez

Romnick Sarmenta praises free YouTube release of 'Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence'

Article (news)

Anna Cerezo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17871850403023.png" style="width:655px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="655"/>Romnick Sarmenta stars in &quot;Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence.&quot;  Handout</div>Actor Romnick Sarmenta praised the production of &quot;Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence&quot; for releasing the limited series for free on YouTube, a move that gives more people access to the story.&quot;Pwede ipasok sa festival, but you chose to give it away for free para mas maraming manood. It makes it even more valuable,&quot; Sarmenta said during the talkback session held after the advance screening of the series&#x27; fourth episode.The actor added that the film&#x27;s value goes beyond its commercial potential, emphasizing its focus on real people and societal issues.&quot;Hindi ko tinitingnan [ang] commercial value and lasting impact sa manunuod. &#x27;Yung totoong storya ng tao sa paligid mo, &#x27;yun ang mas mataas value para sa akin. Pero more than that, gusto kong malaman nila [ang] nangyayari sa kapwa nila,&quot; he shared.Meanwhile, director and writer Shugo Praico said the team deliberately chose YouTube because of its accessibility.&quot;Pinakamaganda sa YouTube sa platform is its accessibility. We think this kind of material does not need a paywall. We wanted more people to view it. And marami sa mga kababayan natin outside the Philippines maa-access niya,&quot; he explained.Praico also noted that YouTube&#x27;s format has fostered meaningful discussions among viewers.&quot;Very organic ang engagement, nagkakaroon ng conversation sa comments section,&quot; he noted.The six-part limited series premiered July 30 and has since drawn nearly one million views, with viewership steadily rising with each new episode.Episode 4 will drop on Thursday, August 20, at 8 p.m. New episodes will continue to premiere every week, leading up to the series finale on September 3.

Actor Romnick Sarmenta praised the production of "Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence" for releasing the limited series for free on YouTube, a move that gives more people access to the story.

Actor Romnick Sarmenta praised the production of "Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence" for releasing the limited series for free on YouTube, a move that gives more people access to the story.