LAWYER Ferdinand Topacio has voiced disagreement with the Best Actor award given to Vice Ganda at the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
Speaking at a recent press conference, Topacio said he believed Piolo Pascual’s performance in “Manila’s Finest” was superior to Vice Ganda’s acting in “Call Me Mother.”
“Maganda ’yong acting ni Vice, to be fair. But over Piolo Pascual as well in the ‘Manila’s Finest,’ no way! No effing way!” he said.
Topacio also renewed his criticism of the overall quality of MMFF entries, saying the festival had strayed from its original purpose.
“Metropolitan Film Festival ’yan dati. Ang daming magagandang pelikula niyan. May social message,” he said. “Ang problema kasi, you have placed the movie industry in the hands of people who know nothing about movies.”
While the MMFF is currently administered by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Topacio argued that the agency has no mandate to do so. He proposed transferring festival oversight to either the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) or the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
