The talkback session that followed Thursday’s special screening of “Quezon” sparked more than just thoughtful discussion—it set off a buzz. Intended to rally support for TBA Studios’ latest entry in its expanding Bayaniverse series, the event quickly became the talk of the town, lighting up social media and fanning fresh curiosity about the film.
At the center of the storm was a tirade over the film’s portrayal of Manuel Luis Quezon, the first president of the Philippine Commonwealth—this time from his own bloodline. Enrique Quezon Avancena, Quezon’s grandson, took the microphone and minced no words, accusing the filmmakers, particularly director and co-writer Jerrold Tarog, of tarnishing the Quezon legacy in the pursuit of profit.
“(Dahil) gusto ninyong kumita ng pera (at) sumikat, sinalaula ninyo ang alaala ng isang pamilyang nagbuwis ng buhay” para sa bayan, said Avancena, refusing to be pacified and seemingly unfazed by the cameras recording his outburst.
“What you have opened, Mr. Tarog, is a Pandora’s Box,” he added, claiming the movie conveniently left out Quezon’s notable accomplishments, such as granting women the right to vote and distributing a substantial portion of his vast landholdings to farmers.
In fairness, Tarog and co-writer Rody Vera have long embraced the murky middle ground of history, freely blending fact and dramatic license to reveal not myths, but men—driven by ego as much as ideals. Quezon, after all, positions itself as political satire built upon historical truths.
In a statement addressing the controversy, TBA Studios defended the film’s historical grounding, citing primary sources and research materials. “While the film includes fictional elements for thematic purposes, the facts and details presented in the film are easily verifiable through public records, online research, and library resources,” the studio said. “To support further learning, the production has released a Study Guide and Companion Book with a comprehensive list of the books and references used in the film’s research.”
John Arcilla, who played Antonio Luna in Heneral Luna—the 2015 film that launched TBA Studios’ Bayaniverse—also weighed in on the dispute involving his cousin Avancena. “I understand that the ‘satirical’ angle might be the film’s best defense. It looked satirical in the way they styled the early rigodons of political opponents and some of the ‘actings,’ but the content itself doesn’t feel like one,” Arcilla said. “The preachy and direct characterization of our Lolo’s persona was explicitly stated by the fictional Joven—who represents the audience—right to his face. That’s what truly feels bothersome.”
Avancena, for his part, later clarified on social media that he was not discouraging anyone from watching Quezon or depriving the filmmakers of their due. “Watch it, and then join me in a social media defense mga Quezon followers,” he wrote.
It remains to be seen whether TBA Studios will tread more carefully—or double down on controversy—when it rolls out its next Bayaniverse chapter. Quezon’s final scene all but teases it: a transistor radio crackling with the tinny campaign jingle of former President Ramon Magsaysay, the beloved “man of the masses.” If history has taught us anything, it’s that heroes rise, fall, and are rewritten—sometimes by historians, sometimes by filmmakers, and more often, by whoever shouts loudest in the talkback.
