“There is no modern day Heneral Luna amongst the candidates running for public office today.”
This is what Heneral Luna director Jerrold Tarog wrote on Facebook on Tues, Apr 19. The note was accompanied by a photo with a caption that said the movie and its producers are not associated with any political party or candidate.
The note seems to have stemmed from netizen comments comparing Antonio Luna, the Filipino general who fought in the Philippine-America War and subject of the hit 2015 historical film, to certain political candidates.
Tarog did not mention a specific political bet, although there are netizens who have compared the hot-headed general to certain candidates.
Si Duterte parang si Heneral Luna! Di man magaling sa salita pero buong puso kung maglingkod. Hindi takot mamatay.
— Queen Pia (@nuriko_04) April 18, 2016
Yung pakiramdam na… Kapag naging Presidente si Miriam Defensor Santiago, mayroong babaeng Heneral Luna.v
— Am (@aryellfabuna) October 16, 2015
And Tarog understands why. “We still think we need saviors. We see a movie hero who inspires us, we want that guy to run our lives for us. We want one person who will promise us that we can sit down and relax because he or she will take care of everything,” he wrote.
But there is no such person in real life, Tarog added. “Your candidates will never be your saviors. They are just people who will succeed in some places and fail in others. No one can magically transform this ailing country under a deadline. Whoever you choose to support, remember that the job of cleaning up this country falls on your hands as well,” he said.
Read Jerrold Tarog’s note “There Is No Modern Day Heneral Luna” by clicking this link
