The End Kirino Manila, home to drug dealers, thugs, thieves, and murderers. It doesn't matter if we die in a fight or in a jail. Dad is dead. Anyone who goes in there is risking their life. Kirino is a deadly no-go zone. Don't move. I don't want to hear people out of you. Under the control of the Batanga City jail game, merciless, brutal, and prepared to do anything to defend their territory. Stalked by bounty hunters, who stared death in the face every day.
That's an arms dealer, which means he's going to shoot. In a place where poverty, violence, and prostitution are the way of life. And bloody drug wars are the backdrop that people live their lives to. Welcome to the trap. Welcome to Kirino.
Manila, capital of the Philippines, with 24 million inhabitants, the fourth largest city in the world. And while the rich bask in luxury and glamour on one side of town. Just a few kilometers away, the complete opposite is going on. Kazon City, home to 3 million people, population density, higher than anywhere else in the country. One in four here live on just two euros a day.
The crime rate, highest in all the Philippines. Officially, there are 40,000 crimes committed here every year. Gang Wars rage on a weekly basis. Its victims falling to the now all too familiar hails of bullets. The murder rate has skyrocketed 60% in the past three years alone. And shows no signs of stopping. And right in the middle of it all, Kirino, territory of the Batanga City Jail Gang.
An area that even the hardened residents of Kazon City dare not tread foot. An absolute no-go zone. Greater Manila is home to about 500 slums. In the northeastern district of Kazon City lies Kirino. An area of about one square kilometer, and which is ruled by its own laws.
Which he writes. Jojo. For the past 20 years, Jojo has been ruling over Kirino, fiercely defending it against its enemies. I'll never get me. I check the area every day. I need to know if any members of any gangs are trying to get onto our turf.
The gang around Bal's Jojo is a subgroup of the Batanga City Jail Gang. Set up originally in jail, its network has since spread out across the entire country. This street belongs to us. This is our headquarters. And where most of our gang members live. At first glance, Paho seems to be a totally normal street. But the people who live here are almost all drug dealers, thieves and murderers, including the women and children.
Paho is situated in the middle of the no-go zone. From here, Bal's Jojo directs the gang. Headquarters. Well hidden between the houses of Kirino. The only access is through an inconspicuous alleyway. Here, no one can get in or out without being noticed. Only Bal's Jojo's most trusted associates are allowed in. They are loyal to their leader and always prepared to sacrifice their life for the gang.
The war with the surrounding gangs flares up again and again. Jojo and his men need more weapons, which means they'll need more money. We're the most powerful gang here. But there are also other gangs in other neighborhoods. One of these gangs recently tried to push into our territory. We fought back and they ran for their lives.
In order to protect his area as much as possible, Jojo has divided this no-go zone into nine sections. Each of his henchmen controls one of them, together with four to six minions each. How's business going? Good in my area. No problems in my area. Going good. We are cool. My people work hard and do a good job. But cool these days isn't good enough.
Jojo sends all of his henchmen on a special mission to scrape up money and then stockpile as many weapons as they can get their hands on. The gang leader has selected his people with the greatest care, each of them specialized in robbery, burglary, or drug dealing. The robbery expert, Gabby. He's one of Jojo's most loyal followers, and even has a tattoo of his name. The boss is right hand man, Rodney. He and Jojo grew up together. Rodney manages the gang's drug business and is considered to be especially ruthless and brutal.
If the deal gets out of control, fight. I don't care if we get caught. It doesn't matter if we die in a fight or in jail. Dad is dead. For the gang, a human life has a worth less than a credit card or a mobile phone, and certainly less than their own life. For years now, the Philippines has been in the top ten of countries with the highest murder rate.
To keep the enemy at bay, they'll use just about any means available. It's not uncommon in a gang war to use machine guns and deadly booby traps. When the time comes, I try to get as close as possible and fire as many shots as I can. Just to make sure the other guys definitely dead. Once I've finished with him, he's not going to the hospital, but to the morgue. Around four million guns are circulating in the Philippines, more than half of them illegal.
Shootouts are a weekly occurrence in an Iran Kirino. Gangsters stop at nothing and for nobody. The driving force behind the gangs of Manila, Shabu, also known as Crystal Math, breaking bad. We take drugs before every attack. When we're high, we lose all inhibitions, and it's much easier to take risks. Almost everyone in Kirino is addicted to the adrenaline pumping drug. Gang members couldn't care less that dealing, possessing, or consuming drugs in the Philippines is punishable by death. The only thing that's important is the next high.
A drug war has been raging in the Philippines for years. Police and killer commando's hunt down dealers, even the addicts are fair game. Anyone who kills a drug suspect almost always goes free. According to the government, its units have already killed 20,000 people. According to human rights organizations, this number includes innocence and children.
In Pahu, the gang gets ready, pumped up by Crystal Math. They're all set to get money for more weapons. A pistol costs the equivalent of about 300 euros in the black market. A lot of money in a country where 30% of the population lives on less than 5 euros a day. Robbery specialist Gabby swears his people in. We have to be so fast that they don't notice our faces. And then we act like nothing happened, and just keep driving normal. They won't say a thing. No one in the gang is afraid of the police. I have an informant there who keeps me up on things. If they're planning a raid, he lets me know no problem. Then we just disappear.
The monthly paycheck of an average police officer is about 200 euros, which means corruption is just a brown envelope away. For this reason, police officers are reassigned to a different neighborhood every six weeks, but the gangs always find a way to infiltrate. Which is why there are other people who hunt down the gang bosses like Jojo. Like Peter, he's the most successful bounty hunter in the Philippines. Always on the lookout for criminals that could bring in anything from a couple hundred euros to thousands. High on the list are the leaders of the bigger gangs. I hunt gangs like Batanga City Jail, J.I., and Sputnik. J.I., Sputnik. It's pretty easy to identify them. If they've already been in jail, they have tattoos of their gang names, which is how you can find them. For nine years now, Peter has been hunting dealers, gun fences, robbers and robbers. Risking his life with every job. But he's still not thinking of quitting. Death is just part of doing business.
一名普通警察的月薪约200欧元,这意味着腐败只隔着一个信封。因此,警察每六周就会调换到不同的地区,但黑帮总能找到渗透的方法。这就是为什么其他人像Jojo一样追捕黑帮老大,比如Peter,他是菲律宾最成功的赏金猎人。他总是寻找那些能带回数百欧元甚至数千欧元的罪犯。大型黑帮的领袖是他们名单上的首要目标。我追捕像Batanga City Jail、J.I.和Sputnik这样的黑帮。J.I.、Sputnik很容易辨认出来。如果他们已经坐过牢,他们的身上有他们黑帮名称的纹身,这就是你能找到他们的方法。Peter已经追捕毒品贩子、枪手、抢劫犯和强盗已经有九年了,每次任务都冒着生命危险。但他还没有想过退休。死亡只是生意的一部分。
The bounty hunter's target is the border region between gang boss Jojo's area and that of an enemy gang. His gun always at hand. Should the gangs get word of Peter's research, it would mean his certain death. At first, it seems like Peter is just gliding through the streets. He's looking for day laborers and street vendors. They're usually the best sources for tip-offs. They know everybody, including who goes in and out, and when and where. I'm looking for someone. Can I have two of those there?
Residents in the know-go zone are suspicious. Whether gun dealer or junkie, the local authorities are under pressure to get as many names on the kill list as possible. The most important thing as a bounty hunter is to know how to communicate with the local people. You have to talk to them for a long time and fool them to make sure they trust you. And give you information, which more often than not means death for the accused.
In the meantime, only a few blocks away. Drug beta Rodney supplies countless customers in the know-go zone with new stuff. It is estimated that around 5 million Filipinos are drug addicts. One in 20. In Carino, it's even more. A customer texted me that he wants to buy some. Rodney's customers pay the equivalent of 50 euros for a half a gram of crystal meth. For newcomers, that's enough to stay high for about two to three days. For serious addicts, it's only good for a two-hour kick.
Just a few street corners away, Gabby and his boys are getting closer to their target. They are looking for helpless victims to rob, and they'll use any means necessary. The attacks, boss Jojo assigned his group to the gang's western territory. Paho, the street where headquarters is located, is Tebu. Jojo's gang doesn't murder for fun. It's always just business, and they have no problem with doing business.
In the know-go zone, in the middle of the snow, every scent counts. Here a cheap handbag is worth more than a human life. But even in Carino, there are rules. Residents in the know-go zone are protected as long as they follow the rules.
They're the gang's eyes and ears. The neighbors are our accomplices. They protect us from danger by warning us if they find out anything. Then we help them. We share our money with them if they desperately need some.
They don't know what. They don't know what they're going to do. Everyone in the know-go zone is under Jojo's protection. They look away when the gang commits its robberies, attacks and deals, and they tell the boss about any suspicious people who set foot here.
For several hours, bounty hunter Peter has been hunting the gang leaders of Carino, and tips have been coming together. The people are slowly getting to know me. I often give the poor people something to eat so that they like me when I come back. Then they don't get excited and sound off if I'm looking for a criminal.
They know what they're going to do. They're alive. For a couple of years, for themselves and their families, these are the best opportunities the bounty hunter has. Then another tip. From an informant. But the telephone is too unsafe for him. He demands a personal meeting.
I'm supposed to meet my informant here. Apparently, he knows about a gun dealer who works in this area. Gun dealers are big fish. And to bust a dealer means getting access to his customers. Peter is in for some big business. The informant doesn't want to be recognized. If anyone finds out he is talking and who he's meeting, he's as good as dead.
Gun dealers have power. They provide the gangs with everything they need, including pistols, shotguns, and the gun dealers. The gun dealers have power. They provide the gangs with everything they need, including pistols, shotguns, and booby traps. Everything boss JoJo needs to survive and thrive in the next gang war. In the meantime, drug dealer Rodney has serviced just about all of his regular customers. Taking in an equivalent of about 250 euros. Rodney handles a lot of his deals on the phone. The risk is too high that a supposed junkie turns out to be a police informer.
At the end of his route, the dealer visits one of his best customers. At home. She lives right next to the headquarters, in the middle of the no-go zone. And has been taking Crystal meth since she was a teenager, like just about everyone in Carina. 21-year-old Mabel grew up here. He resisted temptation for a long time. Mabel and his bee using the drug for about four years now. The same time she has been walking the streets. She sells her body to anyone who can give her money or drugs, like dealer Rodney.
We smoke something, and then we talk, and drink, and then do whatever happens next. No high school diploma, no education at any kind, no perspective. Mivalency's prostitution is the only way she can make any money. For her children, for food, and for that all-important daily high. The father is long gone.
I live alone with my kids. I thought that their father, his parents wanted to take the kids away from me, and he was on their side. That's crazy. I wasn't going to let that happen. I just packed up our things and took the kids out of there. And now we are just trying to get by. I have to earn the money to keep us alive, all by myself. Since then, Mabel and has been living with her parents.
They don't know about her addiction or her job. They think their daughter is waiting tables as a waitress in order to feed herself and her children. Prostitution is illegal in the Philippines. Mivalen could land in jail any day. The most important thing is that we have rice. Our daily budget for food is about 300 pesos. And that doesn't include things like milk or other things that kids need. That's about five euros for all three.
Money that Mabelen has to earn every day. But like her, her children will never go to school. It may not cost anything but the pay for school uniforms and books. Her income as a prostitute is not enough. The fate of Mivalen and her children is the same as many others.
Around one million children in the Philippines never go to school. As soon as they are grown, they often see only one way out, the street life. Sell themselves or join up with a gang. Like Jojo's, everyone who works for him has to follow the rules. His underlings can keep 50% of the take. The other half goes to the boss.
Normally. Today, they're putting all their money together, collecting every peso for new firearms to defend their turf and kill intruders. Let's look inside. Only a telephone. Look if there's any money in it. Just one peso. Forget it. A telephone gets you the most money.
For a phone, the gang gets around 2,000 Filipino pesos on the black market. About 35 euros. Doesn't sound like much. But for the average earner in the no-go zone, it's a half-months income. Another reason Jojo's gang keeps growing.
The newest member, Raymond. He's just completing his first initiation ritual. I was working alone before, but the gang offers me more protection. That's why I decided to join up. For Raymond, the tattoo means that from now on, his life belongs to the gang.
Boss Jojo enjoys these moments every time, like it was the first. That's important. The tattoo shows everyone that he belongs to us. It protects him. No one in the no-go zone of Kirino takes the risk of confronting one of his men. It's a Viking. That's our gang tattoo.
Boss Jojo喜欢每一次的这些时刻,就像是第一次一样享受。这很重要。这个纹身向所有人展示他属于我们。它保护着他。在基里诺的禁区中,没有人敢冒险挑战他的手下。这是一个维京人的纹身。这是我们帮派的标志。
In jail, everyone has a special tattoo. The Viking. Jojo's symbol for about 20 years now. That's when he started his notorious gang in jail. But no one gets the whole tattoo at once. They have to earn each part of it.
When I got out of jail, I started the gang to make better deals. I brought all the gang members in this area together. They're the ones that make me strong. Jojo's organization originates from this jail. The conditions in Filipino jails are considered to be especially tough. Cells with five inmates each, overwhelmed guards. In reality, it's the gangs that are in control here. Anyone who doesn't belong to one is highly unlikely to survive.
The only way to recognize a gang member, Tatus, placed where nobody can see who isn't supposed to see. As soon as they get out, they act like normal people. Anyone here could be a murderous gang member.
It is also for this reason that Jojo checks on his no-go zone, his kingdom almost every day, and keeps in contact with his informants, which include residents, street vendors, and took-took drivers. The gang boss has people everywhere who serve as his eyes and ears. Sometimes, strangers show up who could also be informants. Then my people let me know that a stranger is around. So we watch out.
Special attention is paid to bounty hunters. Everyone knows. They kill suspects without remorse. The other danger, rival gangs, they're trying to take the area over from Jojo and his followers. This is where we had a fierce fight recently. We had a fierce fight. We had a fierce fight. We had a fierce fight. We had a fierce fight. We wanted to take over our turf. We shot at them and pushed them back. But to keep winning at this war, the gang clearly needs one thing, more firepower.
But bounty hunter Peter is close on their heels. His informants' tips appear to be accurate. A gun dealer hideout. North of the No Go Zone. A gun dealer who regularly supplies boss Jojo and his gang with the weapons they want. At first, Peter checks out the area from his car. He doesn't want to startle his targets. I'm going to take this. The gun dealer apparently hides out in this block. The tips from the informant have been accurate so far. I'm pretty optimistic that I'll make good progress here. I'm going to take this. He lives at the end of this block in a little alley. I'm going to tell the police that we'll go in tomorrow.
For Peter, it's time to get out before someone notices him. In less than 24 hours working together with a heavily armed police strike force, he'll move back in and put the gun dealer out of commission. The bounty hunter trains several times a week of the shooting range and owns 10 guns. Just to make sure that he's the one doing the killing and doesn't get killed himself.
As a bounty hunter, I need to be ready for anything, especially in this case. He's a gun dealer, which means he's going to defend himself with his guns. I want to be well prepared. Gang members in Kiz on city don't care if they land in jail or die. I'll shoot now.
Peter's toughest job ever, a group of bank robbers. In the end, he shot all of them, killing it's become normal. But that wasn't always the case. The first time I killed someone during a shootout. It really hit me hard. I went to church to confess. That was the first time I ever went to confession at church. But the next time, the killing was easier. It was only tough for me the first time. It was a tough fight. Looks good. I'm ready for that guy.
In daylight. Because when it's dark and not even he will step foot in Karina. Seven o'clock in the evening. For the prostitute, Mivalin, that means like every evening preparing to earn some money. I hope I get a lot of customers today. It's the weekend, which is when most of the tricks come. Yesterday, I only had one. Not enough money. I hope to get three or four today. I really hope so.
Sex for money. For Crystal meth. For food to feed her children. It's a vicious daily cycle that Mivalin more than anyone knows she will never escape from. Her most fervent wish to use the money she earns to give her two children a better future.
Her friend, Alvin, is also her pin. He takes 20% and escorts her every day to the strip she services. He has never hit her. Mivalin wants it to stay that way. Because what she anticipates in the next few hours is hard enough. I'm just thinking about my family now. I'm only doing this for my family, for them, and especially for my kids.
The Red Light District of Kazon City has situated two kilometers west to the Nogo Zone on the busy Republic Avenue. Even though prostitution is forbidden, the women know that most police look the other way. Officially, they offer massage services, the few extras. Mivalin's friends are already waiting at the regular location. Junkeys, just like her. Hey, sweetie. How's it going? You're doing good? Looking good? We haven't had any customers. The Johns paid nine euros for oral sex, for normal sex 25, and for anything beyond that, double. But even then, a single John won't do for a daily dose of meth. The worst part is when they want something that I don't want to do. Sometimes the guys want something really disgusting. Most of the time, I just leave, because I don't want to do it. I'm not going to do it. Waiting for an hour.
Then, just as her high subsides, a regular customer appears. Mivalin knows that he's not a perfect, and he'll pay. Hey, how's it going? Long time no see, boss. You want me? Let's go. We're going now. Bye-bye. Mivalin is lucky. This night, the first customer comes early, because the competition on the streets is fierce. It is estimated that there are about 800,000 prostitutes in the Philippines. More than 10% of them are underage.
Meanwhile, at the center of the No Go Zone, Jojo's gang is getting ready to execute more robberies. The boss and his right-hand man, Rodney, want to take the opportunity to train their youngest member. The two ring leaders already have several human lives and their consciences. Most of the time is a result of trivial issues. Their inhibition toward violence practically nonexistent. One time, I got into a fight with a Muslim. He insulted me and stabbed me here. But it was on their turf, which is why I didn't do anything at first. But I swore that if I ever saw him on art earth, I'd kill him.
The criminals look for passers-by with phones, credit cards, and cash. Those who resist risk their life. Robberies and shootouts are practically normal here. Every other day in Kiz on City, there's an armed robbery, the highest rate in the Philippines. And there are almost always casualties. The victims, passers-by, vendors, taxi and bus drivers. Whoever resists or tries to intervene is mercilessly shunned. And everyone from Jojo's gang is prepared to do the same when it comes right down to it. They act as though they are harmless residents, but these are wolves and sheep's clothing, sizing up everyone and anyone that crosses their path.
A few kilometers away in the Red Light District, Mevelin has finished with her first customer. And she isn't thinking of her work or her next crystal high, but rather of her two children. I made good money, which I can use to buy food and diapers for my kids. Enough for some things, but nowhere near enough for everything. Tomorrow morning at the latest, Mevelin will need her next kick, and that she will get it from the dealers in Jojo's gang.
They return from their round of robberies early the next morning, time to check the take at headquarters. Especially the wallets and phones. They add up to the equivalent of about 200 euros. A good night. If they can keep it up like this in a few days, they'll have enough to buy new guns. Guns they'll need to defend their turf. And guns that bounty hunter Peter wants to get out of circulation as quickly as possible. With the help of 10 members of a special unit, all heavily armed. Because each of them knows that rightly or wrongly, killing the suspects will cause less problems than the alternatives. I hope the raid is a success. Then I'll be 100,000 pesos the richer. That's almost 2,000 euros bounty. A hefty sum.
Life is cheap, but some lives are worth more than others, and this raid is considered to be extremely dangerous. Even though murdering a gun or drug dealer is really penalized, there are some rules. First, evidence. Then, raid. The undercover buyer is a member of the special unit. He's being protected by additional police and neighboring houses. They are videotaping the whole thing for evidence.
Peter's sense was right on the money. With a purchased gun in the bag, the secret agent proceeds to his colleagues waiting in the car. Positive. He bought the gun. You made the buy? Go, go, go. Now everything has to move fast. Don't do that, eh? It's a positive. The fact that bounty hunter Peter is also risking his life at this moment is of no consequence to him. The first time I worked as a bounty hunter, I was nervous. It's just plain dangerous. And I was constantly thinking about my family. But that was a long time ago. These days, I just marched right in. I know exactly what I'm doing.
Go, go, go. Go, go, go. Go, go, go. Go, go, go. I'll get in. That's cash. Search him. There's guns and drugs. The raid is a complete success. Officers discover lots of cash, several grams of crystal meth, and two other guns. Not to mention a telephone, which might contain the names and numbers of other criminals. Basically, a total success, but not for bounty hunter Peter. I'm definitely happy about the arrests, but it could have come off better. When he resisted, we could have shot him. Then the court would have less work on account of this guy.
The court leaders can expect a sentence of about 20 years in prison. But enough to interrupt the expansion of the gang, and to make Kirino that little bit safer. But still, it remains a no-go zone that threatens the future of its children, along with everyone else who call it home. He'll keep on doing the same thing he's been doing, until he dies.
A few years ago, I tried to start a new life. That was when I got out of jail after serving my sentence. I really wanted to change. But then the police arrested me anyway. They didn't care. They abused me, hit me, and kicked me. So it doesn't make a difference. I'm just going to keep on doing the same thing. I'm young and strong. It's my best option. The same goes for gang boss Jojo, because like he says, it's the only thing he knows how to do. Sometimes I worry about my children. What if I have to go to jail? Or worse, what if something happens in a fight? Or what if I get busted during a deal? Who will take care of my kids? But Jojo still sees only one way out, to help his gang grow bigger and stronger.
The game of Cat and Mous has been put on hold for the moment, but it will keep on going. This is one of the things that unites Jojo and Peter, Cop and Robert. Peter is already back out again, hunting for more criminals like Jojo, and prepared to kill them if necessary. There are just so many criminals that the police can't handle them without people like me. The police needs me to track the gang leaders and find the guns and drugs. There are just too few of them. That's exactly why I will always have a job. And exactly why a Kirina will remain what it is for a long time. An environment where death is waiting around every corner, where killers and dealers roam free, and bounty hunters are licensed to kill. Truly an absolute no-go zone.