The company was responding to a descendant of the late President who had publicly criticized the film’s production team.
The film ‘Quezon’, which stars Jericho Rosales as President Manuel Quezon, recently received crticisms both online and offline from Enrique Avanceña, the grandson of the late leader of the country, over the portrayal of his grandfather.
Avanceña called the film as both disrespectful and misleading during a talkback session after a screening at the Powerplant Mall in Rockwell, Makati City the night before.
Aside from their personal exchange inside the cinema on Thursday evening, the descendant also took to Facebook to air his disapproval.
“So I went to see Quezon the movie for the 3rd time in a week. This time I went to engage the makers in a Q and A,” he shared.
“F*cking Jericho Rosales tried to block me, in effect canceling a Quezon, from a Quezon movie which sullied his reputation. My only question was to the Director Jerrold [Tarrog]: ‘Was this film political satire or not?’,” he narrated his side of the story.
He continued, “He (Tarrog) said yes but tried to wiggle away from the question. Kesyo dis kesyo dat. Sabi ko ‘Satire, may definition, (parang Fortwith). Satire, eh ‘di nagbibiro lang pala kayo? At this point Jericho Rosales stood up and told me to stop talking. That other people had questions. So, ayaw nila marinig ang opinyon ng isang direct descendant?“
“T*ngin*, nilalako nila ang pambababoy sa alaala ng mga taong patay, at di nila ako hahayaan na magpahayag ng damdamin at ipagtanggol sila? At hindi naman kung sino lang ang Lolo ko, at nagbayad naman ako ng tiket,” Avanceña furthered.
He also noted that despite his calling out of the filmmakers, he does not intend to discourage people from watching the movie.
“Watch it, and then join me in a social media defense mga Quezon followers,” he told.
To end, “Nobody said he (Manuel Quezon) was a hero, so labas sya sa kabaduyan ng ‘Bayaniverse’. He was a President, and the best ever most incorruptible.”
TBA’S RESPONSE
In a statement issued on Friday, October 24, TBA Studios addressed the controversy surrounding the final installment of the ‘Bayaniverse’ trilogy.
It read, “At the recent talkback session for the film, one of President Manuel L. Quezon’s descendants expressed his views on the movie. While we respect and understand his sentiments, we wish to reiterate that the film is grounded in verified historical accounts, including President Quezon’s own autobiography and other reputable sources.“
The company also noted that while the film includes fictional elements for thematic purposes, the facts and details presented in the film are “easily verifiable through public records, online research, or library resources.”
“To support further learning, the production has released a Study Guide and Companion Book with a comprehensive list of the books and references used in the film’s research,” it added.
TBA also encouraged the public to watch the movie to form their own opinions and join the ongoing conversation about the film, the country’s history, and how the story continues to resonate today.
“We hope that QUEZON can continue to inspire meaningful dialogue, reflection, and a deeper appreciation of our nation’s past,” it ended.