PUMALAG ang producer ng My Candidate na si Atty. Joji Alonzo sa kautusan na inilabas ng Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) na 10 to 12 working hours limit sa shooting at tapings.

“The questions nga is, are these people (production staff) employees? Because the DoLE is supposed to have jurisdiction over people who are employees. So they are independent contractors, their talents, I don’t have control how they act or how they take on a character, so big issue ‘yan,” paliwang ni Atty. Joji.

Kapag ipinatupad daw ito, maraming movie producers at TV network na malulugi at posibleng bumili na lang ng soap drama sa ibang bansa na mas mura.

“I don’t agree that the law is valid. I don’t even agree that it’s a law, it’s a department order, it can always be question if it goes against the basic tenets of the labor code. So, basic question arises, are they employees?

“I can argue that they are not employees. Assuming they are employees, I can argue that they are not covered by the labor code because they fall under article book 3 of the labor code field personnel. So walang limit ‘yun sa work hours.

“Kami (sa Quantum Films) naman, we have self-imposed working hours, hindi naman kami umaabot ng (umaga), nag-a-average cut-off kami ng 2 AM, okay na ‘yun.

“We usually roll ng 9 AM, nasa set lahat ng 8 AM kaya roll ng 9 AM at 2 AM, uwi kami. Kasi ayoko ring inuumaga, sino ba’ng may gustong magkasakit ang production?” paliwanag pa ni Atty. Joji.

Walang planong mag-produce ng teleserye si Atty. Joji.

“Mahirap ang teleserye, magde-develop ka over a span of 13 weeks, madugo ‘yun, hindi ko kaya ‘yun,” natawang sagot nang tanungin naming kung may balak siyang maging content provider sa TV.

Samantala, proud si Atty. Joji na mapapanood na ang My Candidate sa Mayo 11 dahil. Nakakatawa raw ang pelikula niya, at pampa-good vibes ito pagkatapos ng eleksiyon sa Mayo 9.

Katuwang ng Quamtum Films ang MJM Productions, Tuko Films at Buchi Boy Films sa My Candidate na pinagbibidahan nina Derek Ramsay, Shaina Magdayao, Iza Calzado at Ketchup Eusebio mula sa direksiyon ni Quark Henares. (Reggee Bonoan)