Maid in Malacañang director Darryl Yap denied an invitation to this year’s Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) awards night.
In his Facebook post on April 17, he shared his conversation with a FAMAS representative where he declined the invitation given to him.
In the message, Yap declined the offer saying that he does not want his films to be criticized alongside other films which he believes do not deserve recognition.
“Thank you for extending an invitation to me. Truly I am honored to have been considered by your esteemed group,” he said.
He furthered, “As a cineaste, I have always looked forward to your annual awards night, and I hold your institution in high regard. However, I must decline your invitation. While I respect and admire your organization, I cannot in good conscience participate in an event where my films will be presented and adjudicated alongside works that I personally do not believe to be deserving of recognition such as Katips, which I believe to be the cinematic equivalent of a surgical operation gone wrong.”
The director added, “I understand that this may be due to my personal biases, but I must uphold my principles and values above all else.”
He explained that he simply upholds his values in life and wished the organization well.
In his caption, Yap said that the posted conversation screenshots are not his way of bragging but publicizing his personal opinion.
Yap explained, “Minabuti ko pong ipaskil ito upang sabayang ipabatid sa aking mga tagasubaybay, kaibigan sa industriya at mga katrabahong artista—Ako po mismo ang umaako ng dahilan kung bakit di nakakasama sa ilang pagkilala ang ating mga munting pelikula.”
He concluded, “Hindi po ito “humblebrag” o pagmamalaki at pagyayabang; hindi rin po nito sinusukat ang kredibilidad ng kahit na sino, Hindi po ito repleksyon o tinig ng kahit na sino mula sa Viva films, ito po ay personal kong pahayag; ito po ay simpleng paninindigan lamang na sasagot sa mga tanong at kuro-kuro ng aking mga tagapagtangkilik.”