Mon Confiado admits that people have come to identify him as Emilio Aguinaldo after playing the first Philippine president in the hit historical movie Heneral Luna.
Mon also mentioned that he was often asked about the killing of Heneral Antonio Luna following his portrayal of the most controversial and probably the most hated character in the movie.
“After ng Heneral Luna, lagi kong naririnig, ‘Ikaw ba talaga ang pumatay?’ o ‘Yung character mo ba talaga ang pumatay kay Heneral Luna?’ he related to entertainment media during the press conference of Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral last week.
He added in jest, “Pero ang kagandahan dun, kahit tinitingnan nila as kontrabida si Presidente Emilio Aguinaldo, after nilang tanungin ‘yon, ang sinasabi nila, ‘Puwede bang magpa-picture?’ May kosuwelo na ganun.”
Although he was generally seen as a kontrabida in Heneral Luna, Mon hinted that this may change a bit in Goyo.
He explained, “Ang sinasabi ko lagi, ang point of view ko kasi sa pagganap ko ng Emilio Aguinaldo ay point of view lagi ng artista.
“Siyempre, hindi ko siya pwedeng tingnan na kontrabida sa pelikula o nang masama.
“In fact, dito sa Goyo, mas ipapakita yung human side ni Presidente Emilio Aguinaldo, yung pinagdadaanan nila.
“Well, nasa sa atin kung maiintindihan natin yung sitwasyon o yung kalagayan ni Presidente Emilio Aguinaldo dito sa Goyo.”
As a returning actor in the second installment of this historical trilogy, Mon said about his character: “Para sa akin, mas malaki ang role niya rito, mas malaki yung ipinakita ng pelikula kay Emilio Aguinaldo dahil paborito niyang heneral si Goyo—most of the time magkasama sila, simula ng pagiging heneral niya hanggang sa pagtakas nila, sa mga experiences nila.
“So, sa palagay ko, mas maiintindihan natin yung pagka-presidente ni Emilio Aguinaldo rito.”
Heneral Luna and Goyo’s director Jerrold Tarog added that Emilio Aguinaldo’s image will change as the story progresses up to the planned third installment, which will focus on the second Philippine President Manuel Quezon.
“Importante rin na mabuo yung trilogy kasi sa third film, mas malaki na yung point of view ni Aguinaldo.
“Yung mga pelikulang ‘yan, depende kung kaninong point of view yung kwento, e.
“Kay Luna, obviously kontrabida si Aguinaldo.
“Dito [sa Goyo], medyo nasa side tayo ni Aguinaldo kasi nasa point of view tayo ni Goyo.
“Then, mag-iiba na naman eventually sa Quezon.”
Learn more about former President Emilio Aguinaldo as Mon Confiado portrays his character in Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral showing in cinemas on September 5.