After much anticipation, the continuation to Erik Matti’s award-winning crime thriller “On the Job” (#OTJonHBOGO) premieres globally and exclusively on HBO GO.
Inspired by true events, the series centers around crime syndicates that temporarily release contracted prison inmates to carry out political assassinations for those in power.
However, as it turns out, those crime syndicates are run by politicians themselves.
Hitmen prisoners Tatang (Joel Torre), Daniel (Gerald Anderson), and Roman (Dennis Trillo) are occasionally released from jail in order to perform assassinations ordered by powerful mysterious clients. Meanwhile, law enforcers Joaquin (Joey Marquez) and Francis (Piolo Pascual), and journalists Sisoy (John Arcilla) and Arnel (Christopher De Leon) try to uncover the truth behind the killings and disappearances.
The series also puts a spotlight on the real-world issue of fake news and how easily truth can be spun, manufactured and disseminated to the public in an age where information spreads faster than ever.
Conceived and directed by Erik Matti, the series in English and Filipino is filmed in the Philippines. It also stars Dante Rivero (Mayor Pedring Eusebio) and Lotlot De Leon (Weng).
The first two episodes of the series screened as a film at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, while the final four episodes will play as a film in Competition at the prestigious 78th Venice Film Festival.
Along with the first installment of the film, the sequel will be available as a six-part HBO Asia Original series. The first three episodes will be available to stream on September 12 and a new episode will premiere every subsequent Sunday.
The first episode, “Tatang,” shows Tatang and Daniel temporarily released from jail to carry out a series of assassinations for a powerful politician.
In “Joaquin,” Joaquin stands firm on his duties as a cop, while Francis faces immense pressure from his politician father-in-law and his powerful ally General Pacheco.
Evidence about the conspiracy makes it all the way to the town of La Paz in the third episode, “Arnel.” Arnel Pangan’s newspaper is beleaguered because of his political beliefs, to the dismay of his editor, staunch government supporter Sisoy Salas. The harassment soon escalates into a bloody incident.
Sisoy searches for his other missing colleagues, but his hopes of seeing them again diminish as the days go by in “Pedring” (September 19). In “Roman” (September 26), Roman receives a life sentence, pulling him even deeper into the gun-for-hire business. He is given another hit mission with his new cellmate, Popoy.
In the finale, “Sisoy” (October 3), Sisoy and Roman help each other out in trying to get to the root of the killings.
Produced by Reality MM Studios and Globe Studios, “On the Job” is written by Michiko Yamamoto and Erik Matti and executive produced by Ronald “Dondon” Monteverde, Erik Matti, Joe Caliro and Quark Henares.
