MANILA -- The Directors' Guild of the Philippines, Inc. on Saturday expressed its "deep concern" and "disappointment" about the removal of Baby Ruth Villarama's entry "Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea" from Puregold CinePanalo 2025.

In a statement, the DGPI said the decision "signals a troubling trend in the suppression of artistic expression and the silencing of truth in our country."

READ: West Philippine Sea docu withdraws from CinePanalo

"'Food Delivery' sheds light on the harassment faced by Filipino fishermen at the hands of the Chinese Coast Guard within our own Exclusive Economic Zone, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Rather than celebrating the courage of our filmmakers in exposing these critical realities, the festival has instead chosen to suppress the truth-seemingly to avoid disfavor from powerful foreign interests," they added.

"This is not just an attack on one film but an alarming indication of how freedom of expression is being eroded in our society."

The documentary was removed from the film festival on March 12, just two days before it started.

Villarama's much-talked-about entry would have been the first documentary in the festival produced by Puregold, which is owned by Forbes' one of the wealthiest Chinese-Filipino families. 

The DGPI noted that other documentary-films have been in similar situations, saying: "It is deeply disturbing that, in less than a year, multiple documentary films-Alipato at Muog, Lost Sabungeros, and now Food Delivery-have either been given initially an X-rating or pulled from public view, with some of their audiences even facing threats."

"These actions reveal a growing pattern of intimidation that seeks to prevent Filipinos from engaging with narratives that expose injustice and challenge prevailing power structures," the added.

"We call on the entire artistic and storytelling community to remain vigilant. Now, more than ever, we must stand firm in our commitment to truth-telling. The power of cinema lies in its ability to shed light on realities that some would rather keep hidden. Tyranny fears storytelling because storytelling unearths the inconvenient truths that empower people."

The DGPI stressed that they stand in solidarity not only with Villarama but "all filmmakers who dare to confront uncomfortable truths."

"We urge film institutions, festivals, and the greater public to protect our democratic rights and uphold the principles of free expression. Let us not allow fear and censorship to dictate which stories can and cannot be told."

CinePanalo festival director Chris Cahilig last Friday said he is hopeful that "Food Delivery" can secure a world premiere.

"Gano'n talaga, may negative side to it pero may positibo din nangyari. Remember, international film festivals — ang problem, if lumabas na sa local, wala ka nang world premiere. So gusto ng malaki international film festival, mag-world premiere. It gives them the opportunity to get accepted in the best platform for the world premiere," he said during the film festival's awards night in Quezon City.

READ: CinePanalo director hopes West Philippine Sea docu gets global premiere