MANILA, Philippines — GMA Public Affairs Senior Vice President Nessa Valdellon challenged the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board’s statement that it did not reject or deny the review of the documentary Lost Sabungeros.
In a Facebook post on Friday, March 6, Valdellon shared a Feb. 19, 2026, letter from the MTRCB addressed to the film’s director, Bryan Kristoffer J. Brazil, and to her. The letter stated that the board found “no sufficient basis to disturb or reconsider its prior determination in declining to review and classify the above-mentioned film.”
The board said reconsideration would only be possible if the producers submitted a certification confirming that the documentary’s subject matter is not involved in any pending legal case, citing Presidential Decree No. 1986.
Valdellon said the letter shows that the MTRCB had declined to review the documentary twice. She added that GMA plans to screen the film in schools to reach more viewers.
The MTRCB issued a separate statement clarifying that the review was not rejected or denied but that the producers had not submitted the required certification. The board said the review process cannot proceed until the necessary document is provided.
Lost Sabungeros, which explores the disappearance of several cockfighting enthusiasts, has not been shown in mainstream cinemas. It premiered at the QCinema International Film Festival in late 2024 after being pulled from Cinemalaya due to “security reasons.”