MMFF: No ticket-swapping incidents, allegations baseless

The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) management on Saturday denied claims there were ticket-swapping incidents at SM Cinemas, and that the accusations are baseless.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the MMFF said that it has investigated the issue and "strongly denies the existence of such."

During the premiere of MMFF entries on Friday, AlDub fans who were so eager to watch "My Bebe Love" complained that they were given tickets to "Beauty and the Bestie" instead.

News of the incident quickly swept across social media, and in a matter of hours, "NO to MMFFTicketSwapping" trended on Twitter.

My Bebe Love director Joey Javier Reyes confirmed there were cases of ticket swapping.

An avid Aldub fan claimed that SM Cinema also tweeted an appeal for apology to one of the victims. But the SM tweet was allegedly deleted immediately.

After the backlash triggered by the complaints, the MMFF urged its stakeholders to "be responsible in expressing their sentiments especially on Social Media."

The MMFF also reminded audiences that the objective of the festival is to promote the local film industry.

"The objective of the MMFF is to promote the local film industry and this baseless issue will only sideline the true intent and purpose of the Festival," it said. — LBG, GMA News