HINDI makapaniwala si Liza Diño na tinanggal na siya bilang miyembro ng executive committee ng Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
“To say that I am in disbelief is an understatement,” pahayag ni Dino bilang chairman at chief executive officer (CEO) ng Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). Ginawa n’ya ang pahayag sa The Manila Times (TMT), na isa siyang kolumnista.
Ang nagtanggal sa kanya ay si Danilo Lim, ang mismong chairman ng Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) na nangangasiwa sa taunang MMFF. Ginawa ni Lim ang pagtatanggal sa pamamagitan ng isang email na ipinadala kay Dino noong Hulyo 21 at ipinadala rin sa mga dyaryo.
Ayon sa sulat ni Lim, ang pangunahing dahilan sa pagtatanggal kay Dino ay ang paghahangad nito na malipat sa FDCP ang pangangasiwa ng taunang MMFF.
Ang pangalawang dahilan ay ang umano’y pagsasabi ni Dino na maraming kontrobersiyal na kinasasangkutan ang MMDA kaugnay ng pamamahala nito sa MMFF.
Binigyang-diin ni Chairman Lim na nagpasya siyang i-withdraw ang executive committee membership ni Dino dahil ‘di ito kusang nag-resign sa executive committee noong masiphayo noong 2016 ang umano’y unang nagtangka si Liza na malipat sa FDCP ang pamamahala sa MMFF.
Tahasang pahayag ni Lim sa liham n’ya kay Dino: ”After your first botched attempt to transfer administration of MMFF, we were expecting you resign out of delicadeza. For this reason, we would like to inform you that we have decided to withdraw your appointment as a member of the Executive Committee.”
Sa pahayag naman ni Dino sa d’yaryo, inamin n’yang hinangad n’yang malipat sa FDCP ang pamamahala sa MMFF pero hindi naman siya lang ang naniniwalang ‘yon ang tama.
Paliwanag n’ya: ”As the national film agency whose mandate is to establish, organize, operate and maintain domestic and international film festivals, exhibitions and similar activities, it’s always going to be a question why MMFF, a film festival that is very integral in shaping the direction of the Philippine film industry and operated by the government, is not handled by the FDCP, which was created to implement the State’s policy to promote and support the development and growth of the domestic film industry.”
Ayon sa kanya, ang tanging dahilan kaya ‘di napasailalim ng FDCP ang MMFF ay dahil naunang nilikha ang MMFF kaysa FDCP. Ginunita n’yang ang MMFF ay nilikha ng Presidential Proclamation 1459 noong July 1975 (nang si Ferdinand Marcos pa ang pangulo) samantalang ang FDCP ay nilikha noong 2002 (nang si Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ang presidente).
Nilinaw din ni Dino na ‘di lang naman siya ang naniniwalang mas akma na ang MMFF ay mapasailalim ng FDCP kundi pati na ilang taga-industriya. Aniya: ”While there is legal bearing to a dated Presidential Proclamation on why this is, the question on the festival’s operations will be always be posed, and it will not necessarily come from us, but from the members of the industry as well.”
Inamin din n’ya sa pahayag n’ya sa TMT na matagal na rin namang hindi laging nagkakasundo ang MMDA at ang FDCP pero ‘di raw naging dahilan ‘yon para ‘di suportahan ng FDCP ang mga proyekto ng MMDA na may kinalaman sa MMFF.
Pagbibigay-diin n’ya: ”The FDCP and MMDA may not have always seen things eye to eye, but our agency’s overall support to the festival has remained despite the controversies that [the] MMFF faces year after year since I became chairperson of [the] FDCP, and even in years before that.”
Pakiramdam ni Dino ay nakaladkad sa putikan (“dragged thru the mad”) ang pangalan ng FDCP dahil sa liham sa kanya ni Lim na ipinadala sa mga d’yaryo.
Pasubali ng FDCP CEO: ”What we will not allow, however, is for our agency’s reputation to be dragged through the mud with baseless and unconfirmed accusations that is released and discussed via trial by online publicity, rather than in an official forum where the stakeholders are present and every side is heard.”
Bago pa nakarating sa kanya ang sulat ni Lim, aniya, alam na n’yang may usap-usapang aalisin siya sa executive committee. Pagtatapat n’ya: ”Even on our side, we have received unconfirmed rumors about the removal of the agency as part of a coordinated attack from some stakeholders against the FDCP, but we will not be swayed to take action before hearing facts, and we would rather that it be explained to us by the MMDA.”
Ikinagulat n’ya ang sulat ni Lim dahil sa lahat ng pakikipagpulong n’ya sa MMFF executive committee, walang tinalakay tungkol sa mga inaakusa sa kanya nito at wala rin siyang natatanggap na opisyal na komunikasyon buhat sa opisina ni Lim kaugnay ng MMFF bago dumating sa kanya ang sulat na nagwi-”withdraw” ng appointment n’ya bilang miyembro ng naturang committee.
Deretsahang pahayag ni Dino: ”For the record, [the] FDCP was never reached out to about any of the allegations mentioned in the letter [of the] MMDA and has received only one letter from them on the removal of membership from the Executive Committee.
“We are confused about the process and events that led to this decision and out of respect to MMDA, an agency which is also under the Office of the President, we are waiting for a meeting with them as a proper platform to discuss and clarify any concerns they may have.”
Noong July 24, natanggap ni Dino ang sulat ni Lim tungkol sa pagbawi nito sa appointment niya bilang MMFF executive committee member.
Sa statement ni Dino na ipinadala sa media bilang tugon sa “withdrawal” ng appointment n’ya, binanggit nito na totoong may ginawa ang FDCP na position paper kung bakit dapat malipat sa FDCP ang pangangasiwa ng MMFF.
Aniya, ang position paper na ‘yon ang Inilabas ng MMDA spokesperson na si Celine Pialago sa Facebook ng MMDA noong July 20 na nag-aakusa sa kanya ng, ”lobbying to be in charge of MMFF.”
Ayon kay Dino, ang position paper na ‘yon ay noong 2017 pa ipinadala ng FDCP sa Office of the Executive Secretary.
Noong July 21, sumulat ang FDCP sa MMDA para mag-request ng clarification tungkol sa Facebook post ng MMDA spokesperson.
Paggunita ni Dino sa statement n’ya: ”In the letter, FDCP explained that (a) the document was a 2017 position paper of FDCP which was forwarded to the MMFF for comments and position, (b) in a setting in October 2017, the MMFF Executive Committee discussed the documents as one of the agenda. And (c) since then up to this date, no further actions were made by any of these parties on the matter. In fact, FDCP accepted subsequent invitations to be part of the Executive Committee after 2017 in support of the Philippine Film Industry.)
“In the letter, FDCP explained that (a) the document was a 2017 position paper of FDCP which was forwarded to the MMFF for comments and position, (b) in a setting in October 2017, the MMFF Executive Committee discussed the documents as one of the agenda. And (c) since then up to this date, no further actions were made by any of these parties on the matter. In fact, FDCP accepted subsequent invitations to be part of the Executive Committee after 2017 in support of the Philippine Film Industry.”
Pagkalipas ng dalawang araw na sumulat si Dino kay Lim, natanggap ng FDCP ang liham ni Lim na tinatanggal na si Dino bilang miyembro ng MMFF executive committee.
Habang isinusulat ang report na ito, wala pang nagaganap na pag-uusap sina Dino at Lim.
KITANG-KITA KO
ni Danny Vibas