Pinoy photog wins int'l award for drug war photos

A Filipino photographer's work in documenting the Philippine government's bloody war on drugs has earned him accolade overseas for its stark depiction of the operations' costs.

Ezra Acayan received the 2018 Award for Achievement from the Ian Parry Scholarship for the report "Duterte's War on Drugs Is Not Over."

The collection captures the grief of families left behind by victims of the government's violent crackdown on illegal drugs, which has caught the attention of the International Criminal Court and the United Nations.

In an Instagram post, Acayan said he "cannot find the words to express how deeply humbled and grateful I am to be chosen for this year's Ian Parry Scholarship."

 

 

 

 

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Still cannot find the words to express how deeply humbled and grateful I am to be chosen for this year's Ian Parry Scholarship. Working on this story non-stop for the past two years has not only taught me so many things, it has also changed me as a person and has firmly defined my convictions and reasons for being a photographer. This honour belongs to my colleagues—my dedicated brothers and sisters in the nightshift; and most especially to my loved ones for their tremendous support and understanding. — ????: Friends and relatives of 13-year-old Aldrin Pineda weep during his funeral in Manila, March 14, 2018. Aldrin was playing with his friends in their Vitas neighborhood when Omar Molinao, a police officer, shot him dead. Malinao claims he was on patrol in the area when he tripped and accidentally fired his gun. — @ianparryscholar @everydayimpunity

A post shared by Ezra Acayan (@ezra_acayan) on

Sep 9, 2018 at 4:01pm PDT

"Working on this story non-stop for the past two years has not only taught me so many things, it has also changed me as a person and has firmly defined my convictions and reasons for being a photographer," he said as he dedicated his award to his "brothers and sisters in the nightshift," among others.

 

 

 

 

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The body of Angelito Guidotte, who worked as a scanvenger and was also a drug pusher according to his brother, lies dead along Payatas road after being killed by unknown assailants. February 9, 2017. — #everydayimpunity #drugwar #killings #impunity #duterte #throwback #everydayphilippines #everydayasia #everydayeverywhere

A post shared by Ezra Acayan (@ezra_acayan) on

Jul 18, 2018 at 12:09am PDT

 

 

 

 

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Here, humans live and die like pests. Here, humans live next to garbage and shit from the overflowing sewers. Here, humans compete with rats and cockroaches for that leftover chicken you did not finish. Here, they wash their clothes next to blood belonging to their neighbor. Here, humans go to sleep—and if they are lucky—they get to wake up the following morning without a bullet in their head. We can never say of course, because these are the slums—and the pests always "fight back". Here, definitely, human lives are more important than human rights. Welcome to Manila. — #everydayimpunity #drugwar #killings #police #duterte #impunity #humanrights #reportagespotlight #everydayphilippines #everydayasia #everydayeverywhere #leica #leicaq

A post shared by Ezra Acayan (@ezra_acayan) on

Aug 6, 2018 at 2:10am PDT

According to the site, "[T]his photo reportage hopes to illuminate both the violent acts carried out in the Philippines as well as the questionable methods of Duterte and the police."

This was not the first award received by Acayan for his reportage, as he was named Photographer of the Year at the International Photography Awards in 2017 and was formerly part of the team that won the Human Rights Press Awards.

Acayan began shooting professionally at age 17 and had his work featured in Time, the New York Times, Le Monde, the Guardian, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and in exhibits held in France, Sarajevo and Switzerland.

With the theme of "World as Image" this year, the Ian Parry Scholarship will feature Acayan's work with several others at More London Riverside, outside City Hall, for the entire month of October. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News