“It’s a joke!” — President Quezon’s grandson furious over new film

The grandson of the late Philippine President Manuel Quezon, Ricky Quezon-Avanceña, reportedly berated and shouted at the creators of the film “Quezon”, including its lead actor Jericho Rosales.

The incident occurred during a talkback session for the movie held at Powerplant Cinema in Makati City.

During the session, Ricky was given the opportunity to take the microphone and asked the film’s director, Jerrold Tarog, whether “Quezon” was meant to be a political satire.

When the director replied yes, Avanceña strongly retorted that the film was “a joke.”

“So this is a joke! It’s a joke,” Ricky exclaimed.

At that point, Jericho Rosales stood up and reminded Ricky that there was a proper way and place to express his reaction, noting that the talkback was intended for everyone in attendance.

Ricky, however, asked for one more minute to speak and angrily declared:

“You don’t know what you’ve done. You just want to make money and become famous… shame on you. I’m channeling my grandfather right now on your subject — Pta kayo, mga p**ina n’yo, kupal kayo!”

(Note: The last part contains strong profanity in Filipino.)

Following the incident, TBA Studios, the film’s producer, released an official statement:

“At the recent talkback session for the film, one of President Manuel L. Quezon’s descendants expressed his views on the movie. While we respect and understand his sentiments, we wish to reiterate that the film is grounded in verified historical accounts, including President Quezon’s own autobiography and other reputable sources.“

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, or library resources. 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.“

We encourage everyone to watch the movie so they can form their own opinions and join the ongoing conversation about the film, our history, and how it continues to resonate today.

“We hope that Quezon can continue to inspire meaningful dialogue, reflection, and a deeper appreciation of our nation’s past.”