'Paglilitis' review — More of a mistrial

BOTH CRUCES OF sexual harassment issues — that one, no one dares to speak up, and two, no immediate upside is gained in speaking out — feel ultimately sidestepped in Cheska Marfori’s Paglilits, a challenging and, frustratingly, unproductive probing of the gruesome affairs that follow harassment accusations. The title makes it seem that it’s meant to condemn the abusers and the corrupt system that allows them to walk scot-free, but the film leans too heavily on the melodrama that it starts to read like a solid case for why victims should keep their lips zipped. Surely it’s not Marfori’s intention, but when people kiddingly ask, “is the paglilitis (to try and assize, in English, a.k.a. a trial) in the room with us,” it’s hard not to chuckle.

That isn’t to say the film doesn’t surface some interesting observations. Like with other issues, capitalism sifts the impact of S.H. depending on which side you’re on. When Jonalyn, the good-doing worker at the center of the film played by Rissey Reyes-Robinson, is coaxed by an ostensibly kind-hearted law-fluencer (Eula Valdez) to file a sexual harassment case against her previous employer (Leo Martinez), it’s because she’s got nary any prospects. When things eventually go awry, however, her employer’s wealthy family is able to navigate through, fully deluded that they’re not responsible for another family’s misery. This can easily telegraph that the film is trying to paint them kind of sympathetically, but I’d argue that they look just as bad, if not worse.

On the flipside (and again, we’re kind of skirting near Dramarama sa Hapon territory over here!), everyone in Jonalyn’s life just ups and turns their back on her and fully villainizes her for being persuaded to correct an injustice she has suffered. And Jonalyn’s mom! So smarmy and cruel and awful. Make that her entire family too, who, at one point, decides to gang up on her, as if it isn’t her that bears the brunt of having to reopen her wounds. It’s wholly unnecessary and feels like an uninspired way to “drive” the story forward.

Social media obviously plays a big part in the film, though Jonalyn says that “ingay lang ‘yan (it’s all just noise),” an innocent comment that probably has no ill-intended meanings but also somewhat undermines the role that social media played as a platform for real-world victims. The film is riddled with frustrating moments like this; Paglilitis feels unwilling to make a more nuanced inquiry into the ideas it presents, and seems content in depicting the sorriest case of harassment without fully internalizing its implications. When Jonalyn finally musters the courage to making her stand

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Paglilitis

dir. Cheska Marfori | 2025 | Drama | Rating: 2/5

Years after experiencing sexual harassment at her workplace, a former executive assistant is persuaded by a passionate lawyer to file a case against her rich and highly respected boss.