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A post shared by Liza Diño-Seguerra (@lizadino) on Nov 15, 2019 at 6:00am PST

MANILA -- Liza Diño, the head of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), has been removed from the executive committee of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Danilo Lim accused Diño of trying to take over the management of the MMFF.

Lim said that their hand was forced after they had expected Diño to resign "out of delicadeza."

THIS JUST IN: MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim withdrew FDCP Chair Liza Dino's membership in MMFF Execom. Dino is also being requested to resign out of delicadeza. It has come to the attention of MMDA that Dino has been working on the transfer of MMFF chairmanship from MMDA to FDCP. pic.twitter.com/67rht3hjs4

— MJ Felipe (@mjfelipe) July 24, 2020

The FDCP, in response to Lim's letter, claimed in a statement that a proper hearing was not conducted over the matter, expressing their "confusion" as the issues raised had not been brought up to them.

They added that they have reached out to the MMDA and Lim for clarification, and requested a meeting to tackle the allegations.

According to Lim, Diño has been trying to transfer the administration of the MMFF to the FDCP since 2016.

Without going into details, he also said that Diño had been accusing the MMFF of being involved in controversies, when she, as a member of its executive committee, should have been defending it.

Earlier in the week, MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago shared an undated, unsigned document showing FDCP's supposed arguments on why the management of MMFF should be transferred to them.

Among this is the primary mandate for why the MMDA was established, which does not include "any references to films and filmmaking in general."

The MMDA has been organizing the MMFF since 1994.