FAP files more raps vs MMFF panel

MANILA, Philippines - The Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) has filed another petition against the executive committee of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), this time accusing the panel of failing to remit over P11 million to the event’s beneficiaries from 2010 to 2012.

The FAP, through lawyer Antonio Inton, filed a five-page supplemental petition before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 217.

The amount was on top of the alleged P82 million that the MMFF failed to remit to beneficiaries from 2002 to 2008, which is covered by the original petition.

The beneficiaries include MOWELFUND (50 percent), FAP (20 percent), Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council (20 percent), Film Development Council of the Philippines (five percent) and the Optical Media Board (five percent).

When asked for comment, lawyer Mary Claire Hernandez, counsel for the MMFF executive committee, said they have yet to receive a copy of the supplemental petition.

In an earlier statement, MMFF executive committee spokesperson Marichu Maceda maintained that all the funds of the MMFF, particularly the amusement tax collections, are intact and accounted for and had been properly distributed to its intended beneficiaries.

Accounting funds

Inton said they filed the supplemental petition following the statements made by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino, who said he was not the head of the agency from 2002 to 2008.

The MMDA chief also chairs the MMFF executive committee.

Citing preliminary inquiry and information based on available records, Inton said some P11.2 million were not remitted to beneficiaries from 2010 to 2012.

He alleged that the amusement tax collected from the MMFF in 2010 totaled P15.73 million, but only P11.2 million was released to the beneficiaries.

It also showed that only P11 million of the P12.27 million was released from the 2011 MMFF proceeds, while P11 million of the P16.41 million was released from the 2012 proceeds.

“The same is likewise rendered essential in order to stress that the amount covered by the report of the Commission on Audit is not an isolated situation,” read the supplemental petition.

“Tolentino must be made answerable and accountable, in his official capacity, not only for the acts committed by or during the tenure of his predecessors but also for the acts committed during his own tenure,” it added.

The earlier petition for mandamus only covered the COA report that audited the funds from 2002 to 2008, when executive committee was still headed by former MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando.

The audit report showed that the MMFF executive committee only released to beneficiaries P130.4 million of the total proceeds of P216.6 million, thus leaving a balance of P82.8 million of amusement tax proceeds from the said years.