The great grandson of Filipino hero, General Miguel Malvar has expressed opposition on the planned biopic topbilled by Sen. Manny Pacquiao.
Director Gabriel Malvar said majority of the hero’s descendants were not consulted about the upcoming film project and only one of the relatives unilaterally decided for the family.
“Had I been consulted, I would have said that I preferred someone not involved in politics or in public service to portray him,” he said in a Facebook post.
Malvar said he believes his great grandfather would also do the same and avoid someone who has political color to depict his life.
“I do not think he would have preferred to have his name associated with anyone in politics and government service. I would like his name and legacy totally apart from the political milieu,” he said.
The great grandson also said Pacquiao is a character, himself, and any role that he plays would always be associated with him being a boxing champ.
“My fear is that he is larger than life and his character cannot be separated from Manny Pacquiao the person. If he plays lolo Miguel, the viewers will not be able to see and appreciate my grandfather,” he said.
The director also adds that it will be a disservice to his great grandfather to become the “afterthought” and not the center of the story.
“It would be disrespectful and a disservice to my great-grandfather if even in the movie about his life, he is not the center of the attention and is merely an afterthought with all the distractions,” he added.
Malvar was the last Filipino general to surrender to the Americans during the Filipino-American war.
