As the excitement and anticipation build towards the Christmas Day premiere of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), recent claims surrounding Mallari have gained attention.
Accusations of bias against the film and its lead, Piolo Pascual, allegedly attributed to MMFF jury chair Chito Roño, have surfaced alongside messages reportedly reaching industry insiders, including members of the press.
Specifically, one text message condemned the film as ‘DREADFUL,’ while singling out Piolo’s portrayal as ‘PANGIT’ (ugly) during the MMFF jurors’ screening.
The exact text read, “Comment ng jury chairman na si Chito Rono sa movie na Mallari na, DREADFUL! ANG PANGIT NG MALLARI AT PINAKAPANGIT NA ACTING NI PIOLO during MMFF jurors’ screening at ibang entries.”
(The jury chairman’s, Chito Rono, comment on the movie Mallari was dreadful. Mallari is so ugly and Piolo’s acting is the ugliest during the MMFF jurors’ screening and other entries.)
Despite these allegations and the reported dissemination of texts, Rono swiftly addressed these claims, asserting that he had not yet watched Mallari.
‘Mallari,’ distributed by Warner Bros. Philippines, directed by Derick Cabrido, and produced by Mentorque Productions, boasts a talented ensemble, including Piolo Pascual alongside esteemed actors such as Gloria Diaz, JC Santos, Ron Angeles, Tommy Alejandrino, Elisse Joson, Janella Salvador, among others.
