Filipino filmmaker Mike De Leon has passed away. He was 78. He was born in Manila on March 24, 1947. On Facebook, Carlotta Films stated that Mike's relatives confirmed his death to them. Mike's passing is a profound loss for Philippine Cinema. The Film Development Council of the Philippines or FDCP joins the entire industry in mourning the passing of the filmmaker. “He was a voice for the unheard, a visionary genius behind generation-defining cinematic classics who shone a light on the beauty and pain of the downtrodden and repressed,” said the FDCP in its tribute. Mike is the brilliant mind behind some of the country's most iconic films, including Itim (1976), Kisapmata (1981), Batch 81 (1982), Sister Stella L. (1984), Bilanggo sa Dilim (1986), and more. Rest in peace to the Philippine Cinema's Master filmmaker, Mike De Leon.