MANILA (UCAN/Agencies): Members of the Order of the Carmelites in Cebu City in the Visayas, the Philippines, condemned a controversial film about the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. for “a manipulated portrayal” of their congregation with former president, Corazon Aquino, following the release of the trailer on August 1.
The film, Maid in Malacañang, produced by Imee Marcos, a senator and daughter of the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and sister of the current president, Marcos Jr., is supposedly about the last 74 hours of Marcos Sr., father of the current president, and his family in the Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the Philippine president.
The trailer of the movie, directed by Daryl Yap, depict the late president, Aquino, playing mahjong with the Carmelite nuns. The Carmelites said there was no historical basis for the portrayal.
“God forgive them. That’s totally fake news,” said one nun who wished to remain anonymous.
“We are not happy with the story. All of this is fake because I was with the former president when the people power [revolution] broke out,” she added.
We are not happy with the story. All of this is fake because I was with the former president when the people power [revolution] broke out
“Aquino was brought to our [Carmelite] monastery around nine in the evening after attending several rallies or demonstrations in Cebu City. That was February 22, 1986, the day after the People Power Revolution started,” she said.
“Nothing of that sort [playing mahjong] happened. She [Aquino] was tired after attending the rallies so she came here to sleep, only to sleep. But I am sure she prayed,” the sister added.
She said Aquino left the monastery the next morning to fly to Manila.
“Let it be known that no one responsible for the production of the movie came to us to gather information on what really happened. Any serious scriptwriter or movie director could have shown such elementary diligence before making such a movie,” the Carmelite Sisters said in an August 1 statement.
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“The truth was that we were then praying, fasting and making other forms of sacrifices for peace in this country and for the people’s choice to prevail,” said Sister Mary Costillas, prioress of Carmelite Monastery, CBCP News reported.
“We are praying for the unity of Filipinos. But this unity can only be built on truth and not on historical distortion,” Sister Costillas said.
The Conference of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines said on August 5, that the movie ut not only the Carmelite nuns, but all consecrated women, in a “bad light.”
Saying that it misrepresented the truth, conference co-chairpersons, Father Elias Ayuban, CMF and Sr. Cecilia Espenilla, OP said,
“A malicious attack on the integrity of the nuns is an affront to all consecrated women and harms the unity of the Church at large,” said its co-chairpersons Claretian Father Elias Ayuban, and Dominican Sister Cecilia Espenilla, said, “In this regard, we express our solidarity with the maligned nuns, who are our fellow consecrated persons, in their cry for truth and fairness.”
To tell the truth, to stand for the truth, and to defend the truth is a moral imperative in a society where fake news, disinformation, misinformation, and peddling of lies become normal and natural.
Conference of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines
CBCP News reported them as saying, “We are one with the Church and the nation in building unity based on truth. Thus, we call on each one to be discerning and critical not just about this film, but in all aspects of communication media.”
The conference statement said, “To tell the truth, to stand for the truth, and to defend the truth is a moral imperative in a society where fake news, disinformation, misinformation, and peddling of lies become normal and natural.”
Giselle Sanchez, the actress who played Aquino in the film, insisted that she took the role to give a chance to the Marcos family to tell their side of the story.
Marcos is remembered by many for human rights abuses committed during his presidency and for enriching himself and his family while in office.
“I began to realise, all this time, what I have been reading in historical books and print media and watching and listening on television and radio during the eighties and nineties was the other camp’s story because they were the ones running the administration,” Sanchez claimed on Facebook, referring to the post-Marcos years.
“Now that the coin has flipped, let’s give a chance for the Marcoses to tell their side of the story, the way they know it. Isn’t it just fair for us to look at both sides of the coin before we cast our judgments?” she said.
We are praying for the unity of Filipinos. But this unity can only be built on truth and not on historical distortion
Sister Mary Costillas
CBCP News reported Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos calling the film, calling on the people behind it to issue an apology.
“The producer, scriptwriter, director and those promoting this movie should publicly apologize to the Carmelite nuns, to President Cory Aquino’s family and to the Filipino people,” Bishop Alminaza said.
The bishop called on the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, which is under the office of the president, to act on the issue and exercise its mandate. “Would the MTRCB act responsibly on this and perform its mandated duty?” he asked, CBCP News reported.
Bishop Arturo Bastes, the retired bishop of Sorsogon, wrote on Facebook: “Their [Marcos family’s] revision of historical facts makes it ridiculous to the whole world. The whole world knows who they are! It is better for them to humbly admit their sins against our nation, repent of them and make proper amendments,” he said.
Human rights activist and staunch Marcos critic, Father Flavie Villanueva, said however, that telling the other side of the story should be based on historical fact, not revisionism.
“To distort history is a great injustice. To do it in such a manner that maligns the good name of both the faith and the individuals, just so others may shine, this is pure evil! The people who created this perverted film can shine in hell,” Father Villanueva said.
