‘Oro’ team returns FPJ Memorial Award: We don’t want to taint his memory

The "Oro" production team on Wednesday said they willingly surrendered the FPJ Memorial Award they earlier received for their work. 

In a text message sent to GMA News, aired on GMA News' Unang Balita, one of the film's producers said:

"Wala itong problema sa amin. Even before today, a representative from (Fernando Poe Jr) spoke to my EP (executive producer) last night. My EP said: Gagawin po namin ang kailangan huwag lang mabahiran ng masama ang pangalan ni FPJ."

"Oro" received the award for their retelling of the Gata 4 Massacre, an incident in 2012 that resulted in the death of four miners. The miners were allegedly gunned down by members of a certain Sagip Kalikasan Task Force. In their retelling, the filmmakers included a dog slaughtering scene. 

They initially said that it was simulated, but later confessed that a real dog was killed onscreen as animal rights group Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) pressed them to answer the clamor brewing online.

The MMFF executive committee on Tuesday recalled the award after Sen. Grace Poe released a statement regarding a controversial scene depicting the killing of a dog.

The film has also been pulled out of cinemas and PAWS is preparing to press charges against the production team. — Aya Tantiangco/RSJ, GMA News