Atom Araullo speaks out on 'Citizen Jake' role and his work as journalist
Published May 30, 2018 07:34 am
Citizen Jake" lead actor Atom Araullo on Wednesday decided to finally break his silence over controversial remarks made by filmmaker Mike de Leon.
Photo courtesy of Atom Araullo's Instagram
A few days before the film hit theaters, de Leon posted on Facebook to speak out his thoughts on Araullo, saying the journalist disappointed him ‘not as an actor but as a person’, which insinuated a rift between the two.
Meanwhile, Araullo clarified that it was the director who asked him to play the lead role last September, 2016.
In his personal Facebook account, Araullo wrote: "Mike had no basis to determine whether I could act or not, much less carry an entire film (with what would turn out to be a challenging role). Naturally, my first questions were: Why me? What movie are we crafting to justify my participation as an actor?"
"Mike was adamant that he wanted a journalist and non-actor to play the character because of his unique vision for Citizen Jake. I believed in the director, and like others who admire his work, I wanted to see him make another film after some 17 years of retirement at the time. So, I said yes," Araullo added.
Araullo said it was not an easy decision for him to take part in the film but he still accepted it. “I knew that I would be subjected to an intense level of scrutiny from all sides, and others will harbor suspicion about my motives. But this was the price to pay for an extraordinary opportunity to speak truth to power in a different medium.”
Meanwhile, Araullo set the record straight, pertaining to de Leon’s remarks, that his work as a journalist had nothing to do with ‘Citizen Jake’.
“Do I stand by the film? Of course I do. Will I defend it? That goes without saying. While it has its weaknesses and limitations, I am immensely proud to be part of Citizen Jake. Meanwhile, and I fear I’m stating the obvious, Jake Herrera is not Atom Araullo. Although there are similarities, we don’t necessarily share the same politics,” he wrote.
"All I can say is that I have never made any claims about the quality of my output or my stature in the media industry. To do so would be futile and obscene. I just aim to do my best like everyone else, always acknowledging that one continues to learn and improve every day. I’ll leave it to the public to appraise the value of my work, accumulated over a decade of being a journalist," Araullo said.
Araullo, nevertheless, said that despite everything, he never wanted to damage Mike’s reputation the way he did to him.
He said De Leon is a "deeply troubled person" who needs "help, patience, and understanding" while battling his own demons.
"But while he has certainly tested the limits of my endurance, I can rest easy knowing that I worked hard, behaved professionally, and did all to the best of my abilities at the time the film was made," he said.
Araullo said he is hoping that De Leon will continue producing films that “rouse our consciousness, make us uncomfortable, and spur debate."
"I am still grateful for the opportunity to have worked on this film, now that I close this chapter of my life," Araullo ended his post.
De Leon’s comeback film “Citizen Jake” was premiered at the UP Cine Adarna in March, and is currently running in selected cinemas. The movie tells the story of journalist Jake Herrera (Atom Araullo) who wants to prove he’s nothing like his father- who is a senator.
Araullo is a former field reporter for ABS-CBN for nearly a decade before switching to rival GMA 7.
Photo courtesy of Atom Araullo's Instagram
A few days before the film hit theaters, de Leon posted on Facebook to speak out his thoughts on Araullo, saying the journalist disappointed him ‘not as an actor but as a person’, which insinuated a rift between the two.
Meanwhile, Araullo clarified that it was the director who asked him to play the lead role last September, 2016.
In his personal Facebook account, Araullo wrote: "Mike had no basis to determine whether I could act or not, much less carry an entire film (with what would turn out to be a challenging role). Naturally, my first questions were: Why me? What movie are we crafting to justify my participation as an actor?"
"Mike was adamant that he wanted a journalist and non-actor to play the character because of his unique vision for Citizen Jake. I believed in the director, and like others who admire his work, I wanted to see him make another film after some 17 years of retirement at the time. So, I said yes," Araullo added.
Araullo said it was not an easy decision for him to take part in the film but he still accepted it. “I knew that I would be subjected to an intense level of scrutiny from all sides, and others will harbor suspicion about my motives. But this was the price to pay for an extraordinary opportunity to speak truth to power in a different medium.”
Meanwhile, Araullo set the record straight, pertaining to de Leon’s remarks, that his work as a journalist had nothing to do with ‘Citizen Jake’.
“Do I stand by the film? Of course I do. Will I defend it? That goes without saying. While it has its weaknesses and limitations, I am immensely proud to be part of Citizen Jake. Meanwhile, and I fear I’m stating the obvious, Jake Herrera is not Atom Araullo. Although there are similarities, we don’t necessarily share the same politics,” he wrote.
"All I can say is that I have never made any claims about the quality of my output or my stature in the media industry. To do so would be futile and obscene. I just aim to do my best like everyone else, always acknowledging that one continues to learn and improve every day. I’ll leave it to the public to appraise the value of my work, accumulated over a decade of being a journalist," Araullo said.
Araullo, nevertheless, said that despite everything, he never wanted to damage Mike’s reputation the way he did to him.
He said De Leon is a "deeply troubled person" who needs "help, patience, and understanding" while battling his own demons.
"But while he has certainly tested the limits of my endurance, I can rest easy knowing that I worked hard, behaved professionally, and did all to the best of my abilities at the time the film was made," he said.
Araullo said he is hoping that De Leon will continue producing films that “rouse our consciousness, make us uncomfortable, and spur debate."
"I am still grateful for the opportunity to have worked on this film, now that I close this chapter of my life," Araullo ended his post.
De Leon’s comeback film “Citizen Jake” was premiered at the UP Cine Adarna in March, and is currently running in selected cinemas. The movie tells the story of journalist Jake Herrera (Atom Araullo) who wants to prove he’s nothing like his father- who is a senator.
Araullo is a former field reporter for ABS-CBN for nearly a decade before switching to rival GMA 7.