John Lloyd Cruz was absent during the congress probe of the Honor Thy Father disqualification case on Mon, Jan 11 because he was in Japan.
According to HTF director Erik Matti, the film’s lead actor and co-producer wasn’t due to arrive in the Philippines until Monday evening.
Sen. Grace Poe, one of the 16 members of the Metro Manila Film Festival executive committee, was likewise absent, excusing herself as early as the weekend from the Monday hearing.
But while the probe was filed by Honor Thy Father cast member and Laguna Representative Dan Fernandez after the film was disqualified from the best picture race one day before the awarding ceremony, the probe went beyond it.
On Monday afternoon, the lower house roasted Metro Manila Development Authority Chair Emerson Carlos, who admitted that the MMFF funds was not subject to audit.
According to a report by Marc Jayson Cayabyab on Inquirer.net, the MMDA chair was “rebuked by congressmen for lying under oath and twisting the definition of an amusement tax.”
He said that amusement taxes, which fund the MMFF, are just donations from the local government units, which infuriated a lot of the solons.
“An amusement tax is tax imposed on the movie goer. It can never be changed of its character. I am surprised how he has already twisted the definition of the amusement tax,” Buhay representative Lito Atienza said.
Matti then lamented how the entire Metro Manila Film Festival was just an exercise of economics, saying “It’s only concerned about the money, not the welfare of producers and taxpayers who support them.
The next hearing is scheduled on Wed, Jan 13.
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