Darryl Yap Defends His Film Amid MTRCB Review Concerns
DARRYL YAP – The filmmaker responded to concerns raised by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) about his film’s review process.
Yap explained that it was the distributor who submitted the film to the MTRCB, and he was told that the materials were accepted. He got updates from the distributor, with the review starting as early as 10 a.m. However, it wasn’t until later that night that he received a letter asking for extra requirements, which surprised him since they were not requested for his past films.
Yap wasn’t sure if the MTRCB had actually watched his film or not, pointing out that it was already available for review on their portal. He made it clear that he didn’t intend to mislead anyone or rush the process, and he was just providing updates to those following the film’s progress.
He said he didn’t know about the extra requirements and was only following the usual review process. Yap also emphasized his respect for the MTRCB and said that if they hadn’t reviewed the film yet, he was okay with that. However, he did not appreciate being falsely accused of lying about any details.
Yap ended by saying that he is a Filipino artist, part of an industry that belongs to everyone, and that his film, not his character, was being reviewed. He shared his frustration over the lack of funds for the next steps if the film wasn’t allowed to be released by February 5. Despite the challenges, he continued to show respect for the process and defended his work as an important part of the film industry.
Meanwhile, a Muntinlupa court has ordered director Darryl Yap to remove the teaser for The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma while allowing the film’s release. Actor Vic Sotto sought the removal, claiming the teaser misused information and falsely implicated him. Yap argued the film was based on public records and had the consent of Paloma’s family. The court ruled the teaser could mislead viewers but upheld the film’s release due to artistic freedom. A separate criminal case filed by Sotto against Yap is still under investigation.