Quezon's grandson confronts director, actor over film depiction

Metro Manila, Philippines - A post-screening Q&A for the “Quezon” biopic turned tense after Enrique “Ricky” Quezon Avanceña, grandson of former President Manuel L. Quezon, confronted director Jerrold Tarog and lead actor Jericho Rosales, and accused the film of distorting his grandfather’s legacy.

A video that circulated online showed Avanceña asking Tarog if the film was intended as political satire. When Tarog answered yes, Avanceña retorted, “So nagbibiro ka lang pala?” [Translation: So you were just joking]. Tarog clarified, “No, the topic’s serious,” but Avanceña pressed further: “Joke lang pala?” [Translation: So it’s just a joke?]

Tarog responded, “We will leave that to the audience to decide if it’s something that they would want to process.”

Avanceña then turned to the crowd and declared, “So you admit, this is a satire? So ‘wag natin papaniwalaan, joke pala ito. It’s a joke. It is satire.” [Translation: So let’s not believe it - it’s a joke, it’s satire.]

Lead star Jericho Rosales tried to defuse the situation, saying, “With all due respect, sir, I understand your feelings. But this is a Q&A for our film.

Rosales asked Avanceña to allow time for other audience questions, but the exchange escalated when Avanceña interrupted him, saying, “Jericho, ‘wag mo ‘kong ganyanin ah. Patapusin mo ‘ko, one minute, I’m done.”

[Translation: Don’t treat me that way, Jericho. Let me finish - just one minute.]

Avanceña accused the filmmakers of disrespecting the family name.

“Hindi niyo alam ang ginawa niyo. Dahil kayo, gusto niyo kumita ng pera, gusto niyo sumikat, sinalaula ninyo ang alaala ng isang pamilyang nagbuwis ng buhay,” he said.

[Translation: You don’t know what you’ve done. Because you wanted to profit and become famous, you defiled the memory of a family who sacrificed their lives.]

In a Facebook post, Avanceña reiterated his anger, saying Rosales “tried to block me, in effect canceling a Quezon from a “Quezon” movie which sullied his reputation.”

He described the film as “pambababoy sa alaala ng mga taong patay” [An insult to the memory of the dead], and called on Quezon supporters to “join me in a social media defense.”

TBA Studios, the production company behind the film, issued a statement saying they “respect and understand” Avanceña’s sentiments but maintained that the movie was “grounded in verified historical accounts,” including Quezon’s autobiography.

“While the film includes fictional elements for thematic purposes, the facts and details presented are easily verifiable through public records,” the studio said.

They added that a companion book and study guide were released “to support further learning” and invited viewers “to watch the movie so they can form their own opinions and join the ongoing conversation about the film, our history, and how it continues to resonate today.”

“Quezon,” which stars Rosales as President Quezon, was the final installment of Tarog’s “Bayaniverse” trilogy. The film follows the Commonwealth president’s political rise and his rivalry with Emilio Aguinaldo. It is screening in more than 200 theaters nationwide.

Observers online were divided over the confrontation, with some questioning whether the heated exchange was genuine or a publicity stunt.

“Scripted to, palagay ko. Tuloy interesado na ako manood ng ‘Quezon,’” one user commented.

[Translation: I think it’s scripted. Now I’m even more interested to watch the movie].

Newswatch Plus has reached out to both Avanceña and TBA Studios.