The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday warned the public against selling and buying fake tickets for the upcoming Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) this Christmas season.
The warning came after the government agency on December 20 announced it had coordinated with the Quezon City Police District‘s Special Operations Unit to entrap three individuals who illegally sold complimentary MMFF tickets through Facebook.
The MMDA said that 46 tickets were sold through the social networking platform for P1,300 to P1,500 each despite having the label “strictly not for sale,” according to GMA Network’s “24 Oras.”
It added that 40 more counterfeit tickets were successfully intercepted in the entrapment operation.
“The ticket was certified by the MMFF Secretariat as fake,” the MMDA said in a statement.
The agency said that they have not yet officially released the passes.
An investigation by the police revealed that the source of the fake tickets was an alleged MMDA employee.
The fake tickets were then distributed to a barangay official who was believed to be the contact person for the arrested suspects.
The QCPD is also looking into information that suggests the fake passes came from the printing office where the legitimate complimentary tickets are printed.
The MMDA warned the public that “no persons or groups are authorized to distribute them for sales or any profiteering purposes.”
It also said that the apprehended, who are already in the police’s custody, will be charged with estafa through falsification of public documents in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Estafa is a serious criminal offense that involves deceit, fraud or misrepresentation resulting in financial harm or damage to another person or entity.
“With this unfortunate incident, I urge the public not to patronize MMFF tickets sold online and instead report to us these unlawful activities,” MMDA Acting Chairman Don Artes said in a statement.
“Anyone who will be caught selling or buying complimentary tickets shall be sanctioned in accordance with the law,” he added.
The MMFF is the annual nationwide film fest organized by the MMDA which showcases locally-made movies during the duration of the Holiday season.
Foreign movies are not distributed in this period, except in 3D theaters and IMAX theaters.
There are ten entries for this year’s festival, which are:
- A Family of 2 (A Mother and Son Story)
- (K)Ampon
- Penduko
- Rewind
- Becky and Badette
- Broken Heart’s Trip
- Firefly
- GomBurZa
- Mallari
- When I Met You in Tokyo
They will be screened from Dec. 25, 2023 to Jan. 7, 2024.
Meanwhile, the MMDA is holding a contest promo wherein 25 individuals can win MMFF 2023 festival passes.
Details are on its Facebook page.
