Flashback: 18 years ago
Late night , in the secluded alley of a rundown street in the slums of Manila , muffled groans echoed .
A boy , curled up next to the dirty sidelines of the narrow alley, was protecting his head from being hit . Bruised and battered , he took a chance and staggered to his feet . He was half the size of his opponent , a man with his shirt spilling out of his khake pants .
Dressed in a murky t-shirt twice his size , Torn lip , and bleeding knees and knuckles, but the boy’s determination was unyielding , even as the tall , drunk man in a cop’s uniform loomed over him , cursing vile words with a cruel sneer on his face . The boy’s fists were clenched , his eyes blazing with a mixture of fear and defiance .
The boy’s big head was shrunk to his shoulder to keep his h
