Historian Van Ybiernas and Ricky Quezon Avanceña, grandson of former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon, have both spoken out against the recently released historical film ‘Quezon,’ directed by Jerrold Tarog and produced by TBA Studios, the same team behind ‘Heneral Luna’ and ‘Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral’.
In a Facebook post on October 21, Ybiernas criticized what he described as Tarog’s “lack of historical context” not only in Quezon but also in his previous historical dramas.
“Having watched Luna and Goyo, alam kong hindi interesado sa konteksto ang filmmaker na si Tarrog. Nag-cherry pick siya ng detalye na pinag-aralan daw niya para gawing entertaining ang mga pelikula niya,” Ybiernas wrote.
“Pero huwag naman sana ako pigilan bilang historyador na magsabi na walang kontekstong pangkasaysayan ang mga pelikula niya.”
The historian elaborated that the role of historians goes beyond mere factual accuracy.
“Mali kasi ang pinapakalat na impresyon na detalye lang ang responsibilidad ng kasaysayan at ng historyador. Maling mali. Ang pangunahing responsibilidad ng historyador ay ang saysay o konteksto,” he said.
Ybiernas went on to dissect Heneral Luna and Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, saying the films focused more on spectacle than substance.
“Natuwa ka sa pagmumura ni Luna. Ako din, actually. Pero naunawaan mo ba ang konteksto ni Luna kung paano siya nalagay sa ganoong sitwasyon?” he wrote, adding that Goyo failed to show Gregorio del Pilar’s heroism in Bulacan and instead reduced him to “tigas titi lang si Goyo.”
As for Quezon, Ybiernas said he has no plans to watch it, believing it would suffer from the same shortcomings:
“Hindi ko panonoorin ang pelikulang Quezon. Malamang wala itong konteksto. Malamang trabaho pa para sa historyador na magbigay ng konteksto dahil malamang lamang wala pa rin itong konteksto.”
Ybiernas’s critique came just days before Ricky Quezon Avanceña made headlines for confronting Tarog and lead actor Jericho Rosales during a ‘Quezon’ Q&A session in Makati.
In a viral video, Avanceña can be seen demanding to know if the film was a “political satire.” When Tarog answered that it was, Avanceña interrupted: “So nagbibiro ka lang pala? Joke lang pala?”
Tarog replied, “We will leave that to the audience to decide.”
Avanceña then turned to the crowd and shouted: “So you admit this is a satire? So ‘wag natin papaniwalaan—joke pala ito. It’s a joke!”
Rosales, attempting to calm the situation, said: “With all due respect, sir, I understand your feelings. But this is a Q&A for our film.”
Avanceña refused to back down, accusing the filmmakers of disrespecting his grandfather’s legacy: “Hindi niyo alam ang ginawa niyo. Dahil gusto niyo kumita ng pera at sumikat, sinalaula ninyo ang alaala ng isang pamilyang nagbuwis ng buhay. China-channel ko ngayon ang aking lolo sa pagsabi ko sa inyo nito—p***** kayo, mga p*******ina niyo, mga kupal kayo!”
He then threw the microphone and walked out of the theater.
Amid the controversy, TBA Studios released an official statement on Friday afternoon, addressing both the public backlash and Avanceña’s remarks: “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.”
The studio acknowledged the inclusion of fictional elements but maintained that the historical foundation of the film remains sound:
“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.”
TBA Studios also announced the release of a Study Guide and Companion Book, which details the references and materials used in developing the film.
“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.”
‘Quezon’ serves as the final installment of the ‘Bayaniverse’ trilogy, following ‘Heneral Luna’ (2015) and ‘Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral’ (2018). The film chronicles Manuel L. Quezon’s journey from soldier to the first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935–1944) and explores his political rivalry with Emilio Aguinaldo.
The movie is currently showing in over 200 cinemas nationwide, and despite the controversy, has sparked renewed discussion on how history is represented in Philippine cinema—and where the line between artistic freedom and historical accountability should be drawn.
