Liza Diño on face mask uproar: ‘Focus your energy towards more productive matters’

Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chair Liza Diño on Friday took to Facebook to set the record straight after a photo of herself wearing a face mask during a meeting went viral. 

READ: FDCP chair Liza Diño criticized for wearing a face mask sheet in a meeting.

Diño said that the photo has nothing to do with the work the agency and her staff do. "However you want to frame this issue, you will not be able to deny the work we do," she said.

Turning the situation around, Diño suggested that people spend their time supporting a good cause instead. 

"Now that I have your attention, perhaps you could also focus your energy towards more productive matters like supporting our film programs like the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2018 this August 15-21, 2018 in all cinemas nationwide and our efforts for the celebration of the One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema," she said.

Diño addressed the people "demanding for [her] head on a platter" and clarified once more that the photo was not taken during an actual ongoing official meeting.

"The photo was AFTER an internal meeting with my staff and we were all about to clean up and go home after a 16-hour day at work. So we can end on a happy note, I put on the facial mask (I brought home masks for everyone from my vacation) to humor them (cause it isn’t illegal to try to poke fun at yourself once in a while) then took it off right after the shot was taken. (Imagine how hard it would have been to sit through hours-long discussions with that thing on my face.)," Diño explained.

"Surprised that I have to spell it out but --- No, I do not usually put on face masks, put my feet up, nor conduct myself in any unprofessional way during any type of meeting in my official capacity. Ask anyone who actually do business with FDCP," she further stressed.

Diño ended her post with the FDCP's contact details and said that the agency will sort out actual concerns people may have.  — Aya Tantiangco, GMA News