Ahron Villena takes a jab at director who allegedly exploited him

Ahron Villena intrigued netizens after once again claiming that he had been “exploited” by a film director who allegedly took advantage of him as a newcomer in show business, amid talk of rampant sexual abuse cases in the industry following the ordeal of Sandro Muhlach.

On his social media posts last August 25, Villena appeared irked by a movie director who seemingly made a comment about the prevalence of sexual harassment in showbiz.

“Sorry napapost na ako kasi parang my mali sa mga sinabi eh. Parang dapat maging proud ka pa pala!” he said on Facebook. In his lengthy post, he accused the filmmaker of making him feel exploited in a past film cameo, as he called him out for viewing the recent incidents of celebrities coming forward with their experiences of sexual abuse as “normal”.

“[May] nakita akong post nagsalita pala etong direktor na eto na matagal na daw nangyari [‘yung] mga ganung scenario? Parang proud na proud ka pa. Eh kung sabihin ko kaya na isa ako dun sa mga artistang naexploit at ikaw un!” he said.

“Tandang tanda ko ung kelangan ko magplaster sa eksena cameo role lang ako [may] tumutulong na sakin sa production pero pumasok ka sa CR at pinaalis mo sya. Ang sabi mo pa, ‘Dapat hindi ka nagpapalagay sa kanila ako na dapat maglalagay niyan,’” continued Villena.

(I saw a post where a director said that such incidents have been happening for a long time. It’s like you’re proud of it. What if I tell everyone that I was one of the artists who felt exploited, and it was because of you? I remember when I needed a plaster for a cameo appearance in a scene. A production member was helping me put on the plaster but you went inside the restroom and shooed them away. You even said, “You shouldn’t ask for help from them. I should be the one putting this on you.)

His post was aligned with his claims in a previous “Fast Talk with boy Abunda” interview that he felt “commodified” in the early years of his career, admitting that there had been a time when when his boundaries were crossed, albeit without naming his abuser.

But while he didn’t name the director who allegedly exploited him, this post came on the heels of an interview by Philippine Entertainment Portal with actor-director Joel Lamangan, that sexual abuse has been rampant in showbiz for a long time, except that most of these were not publicized.

Must never be tolerated

The actor went on to share his experiences working with an unnamed filmmaker on set. At the time, he didn’t have the liberty to say no because he needed to earn money.

“Wala namang problema sakin pero ilang beses mong tinatamaan at dinidikit ung kamay mo. Irerespeto kita bilang tao at direktor kasi magaling ka pero dahil baguhan pa lang ako noon oo lang ako [nang] oo kasi kelangan ko din kumita ng pera,” he said. “Malamang hindi mo na maalala kasi sigurado ako hindi lang ako ang ginawan mo ng ganun.”

(I didn’t have a problem with it. But there were many times when you brushed or stuck your hand close to me. I respect you as a person and director because you’re good at what you do. But I was new at that time. I couldn’t say no because I had to earn money. Of course, you won’t remember it because I’m sure that I wasn’t your only victim.)

Villena also recalled his “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” interview in March 2024, where he came forward with his experience of being exploited on the set of an unnamed film, saying that he was already asked about the director’s identity, but withheld it out of respect.

“Hindi kita pinangalanan kasi [may] respeto pa rin ako sayo. Kahit mga staff nagtatanong sakin, hindi ako nagsalita. Kaya sana tahimik kana lang din. Kahit noon or ngayon, never naman magiging tama [‘yung] gawaing ganun. Kung totoo man or hindi, hindi mo dapat itolerate [‘yung] mga ganung bagay,” he said.

(I didn’t name you because I still have respect for you. Even if staff members were asking me about your identity, I kept my mouth shut. I hope you do the same. Those kinds of incidents will never be okay. Whether it’s true or not, these incidents should never be tolerated.)