MANILA — The Committee on Metro Manila Development of the House of Representatives on Wednesday called for the abolition of the existing Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) committees to give way to new members in the next festival.
The committee said it will also study reforms on the MMFF.
There was a tense exchange between Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez and MMFF board of jurors chairman Rowena Capulong as the House hearing on MMFF controversies continued for a second day.
Fernandez once again brought up the alleged conflict of interest concerning MMFF Executive Committee member Dominic Du, whose lawyer is supposedly Josabeth Alonso, a producer of the MMFF entry Walang Forever.
At last Monday’s hearing, Du denied that Alonso is his lawyer, but admitted to ties to a company that distributed two movies in the festival.
On Wednesday, Fernandez indicated that the jurors were influenced by Du, which prompted Capulong to remark: “I’m personally offended as chairman of the board of jurors.”
Fernandez, however, reiterated that Du attended their deliberations.
“Please separate that from how we voted as a jury,” she said. “In the end, we all were in sync.”
In the last hearing, it was revealed that three members of the board of jurors were instructed not to consider Honor Thy Father for best picture on December 21, four days before the ExeCom officially met and deliberated.
“May advance information prior to the official deliberation of the ExeCom na idi-disqualify na po,” Metro Manila Development Committee chairman and Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo told radio dzMM in an earlier interview.
Du on Wednesday denied influencing the jurors. “I was there assigned by the ExeCom to attend to the needs of the jurors. I don’t get involved in the deliberation. I don’t vote,” he said.
“I was asked by the special working committee together with rules committee to be the one to explain to the jurors why they are recommending the disqualification of Honor Thy Father. I did not do it on my own. I have no authority to do it on my own. We feel the jurors deserve the right to know why,” Du continued.
Paranaque Rep. Gus Tambunting pointed out that this appears to be different from Du’s previous statement in the last hearing.
Castelo made the same observation. “The tenor of the statement now seems its recommendatory,” he said.
Towards the end of Wednesday’s hearing, Buhay partylist Rep. Lito Atienza indicated that there was really bias and injustice against Honor The Father on the pretext of not disclosing the previous exhibitions of the film.
“They wanted Honor Thy Father out by all means,” he said.
MMDA chairman Emerson Carlos, who is also overall chairman of the MMFF, however, reminded the panel that the MMFF is a private entity.
The statement drew flak from lawmakers, who insisted that the annual film festival is subject to government audit because it is funded from the waived amusement taxes of Metro Manila. – Report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
This story was republished with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
