Vilma Santos-Recto broke her silence a week after she took home the Best Actress award of the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). 

In an interview with ABS-CBN entertainment journalist MJ Felipe, the Star for All Seasons admitted that she became emotional upon finding out she got the award. 

Vilma bested the other nominated actresses for the category––Sharon Cuneta, Marian Rivera, and Eugene Doming, among others, for her stellar performance in When I Met You in Tokyo.

READ: Sharon Cuneta congratulates Vilma Santos on MMFF win

The veteran actress revealed that though she felt happy that she took home the award, she admittedly said she never expected to win. 

She added that she and her leading man, Christopher De Leon, simply wanted to bring back Filipinos to the cinemas again–– something she was proud to do. 

“'Yung best actress, malaking bagay yun definitely pero nabigla ako because hindi namin yun inaasam ni Yetbo (Christopher). That’s why I became very emotional. Binigay rin nila ang best nila, you know? So when I got the award, talagang shinare ko yun sa kanila kasi the MMFF parang naging isang pamilya,” she shared.

“I really became emotional kasi meron pang dagdag bukod sa pagkapanalo ko na bonus––the MMFF is very successful,” she added.

Vilma then answered some of her doubters who couldn’t believe she won the award–– going as far as doubting the MMFF committee. 

The veteran actress shared that there are things that cannot be controlled, which include negative comments.

However, Vilma said it was wrong to attack the jurors because they were only doing their jobs. 

READ: Jessy Mendiola excited for project with mother-in-law Vilma Santos: 'Ang dami kong matututunan sa kanya!'

“Hindi naman natin macocontrol' yan. Hindi naman bago yan, hindi naman kami bago ni Yetbo sa industriya. There are some comments na nagooverboard kasi hindi bale kung kami personal, [kaso] nagsasama na ng ibang tao,” she said.

“Like yung mga jurors na yan, sila ganito, ganyan, kumampi yan. Si ganitong tao, inilakad yan. My God, God knows na ni isa we did not lift a finger para sabihin mong to get the Best Actress award," she added.

The 70-year-old star reiterated that winning the Best Actress award was beyond her control, making it clear that she was only there to receive it. 

“To those na sabi na bakit siya na naman, hindi na muna ibigay sa mga bago, na they'll have naman their turns. Paano ako lalaban doon? Kinausap ko ba 'yung mga jurors? Wala naman akong alam. They just gave me the award which I'm very, very thankful [for],” she expressed.