- Paolo Villaluna blasted fellow director William Mayo.
- DGPI Pres. Paolo Villaluna slams fellow director William Mayo
- Several directors called out William Mayo’s remarks against LGBT.
Director’s Guild of the Philippines Inc. President Paolo Villaluna didn’t mince words in slamming fellow director and former Kapisanan ng mga Direktor ng Pelikulang Pilipino (KDPP) President William Mayo.
In a Facebook post last Wednesday, September 4, Villaluna called Mayo for his remarks against the LGBT community.
“I’m calling you out, William Mayo. Your freedom and age, based on your posts, definitely WILL NOT pass off as wisdom when it comes to tolerance and acceptance of sexual freedom. Being a filmmaker requires an awareness of power and influence, more so on social media. You can personally believe what you want, even continue making bad films, that’s really ok—BUT you cannot PUBLICLY call an act of love and identity a crime. As fellow artists, we have to draw the line when you invite vilification: your posts incite others not to accept the diverse spectrum of sexuality,” he wrote.
“It is also a veiled attempt at unconscious, middle-class status quo powers. I’ve had the blessing of consensually enjoying all genders, emotionally and sexually. BUT in your view, I am a criminal and unnatural. In the 100th year of Philippine Cinema, we expect a little more from aging, filmmaker colleagues. But I guess holding on to rancid tradition is more comfortable than understanding evolution and human nature itself,” he added.
In conclusion, Villaluna asked Mayo to look at his mirror and know his real power.
“We are artists. We represent humanity, not our personal, zealous righteousness. Know your power. A mirror always helps. With due respect, direk.”
Villaluna’s post was in reaction to Mayo’s statements against homosexuality which he posted on his Facebook account.
According to Mayo, homosexuality should be treated as a crime punishable by imprisonment of up to 7 years.
“Under apartheid in South Africa, homosexuality was a crime punishable by up to 7 years in prison. Sana dito din sa pinas pairalin ang batas ba yan. Ang Saya saya,” he posted.
In another post where he attached the collage photo of Rep. Geraldine Roman, Vice Ganda, and Boy Abunda, Mayo urged lawmakers to pass an anti-homosexual bill
“SANA MAGPASS NG BILL MAKING HOMOSEXUAL ACT, A ‘CRIMINAL’ ACT. LIKE IN MALAYSIA. WHERE ‘SODOMY’ IS A CRIME”
Aside from the above, Mayo also posted several anti-SOGIE bill Facebook posts.
Meanwhile, aside from Villaluna, there were also other directors who didn’t let Mayo’s statements go unnoticed.
Director Noel Escondo and Jay Altarejos also took to Facebook to blast Mayo’s remarks.
In his post, Escondo posted a screenshot of Mayo’s statements with the caption “I would just like to call out a director named William Mayo for this shameful post. Looking at his profile, we have 17 mutual friends and all of them are members of the LGBTQIA+ and part of the film industry. Rise up people!”
Altarejos for his part said Mayo doesn’t deserve to be called filmmaker for his bigoted view.
Indie film director Elvert Banares meanwhile posted the statement of National Committee on Cinema of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts condemning Mayo’s misogynistic statements.
“The National Committee on Cinema of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts wishes to condemn in the strongest possible terms and language, the public dissemination and declaration, by any and all individuals of sentiments and statements that promote hate, discrimination, and bigotry.
We are firm believers in our enshrined Freedom of Speech, but will also fully defend others against abuses of that freedom. Mr. Mayo’s statement, both irresponsible and offensive, impinges upon others’ freedom to self-expression and makes towards establishing an unsafe and violent environment for these individuals,” said in the statement.
