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This April 19, Black Saturday, GMA Pictures delivers a fresh take on comedy and morality with ‘Samahan ng mga Makasalanan,’ a satirical film that dives into the battle between redemption and temptation. At its heart are David Licauco and Sanya Lopez, who take on roles unlike anything they’ve played before.

For David Licauco, known for his romantic and action-packed roles, stepping into the shoes of Deacon Sam was a challenge that pushed his limits, he shared during the film’s press conference held in a hotel in Quezon City.

“My initial reaction was ‘Kaya ko ba ‘yon?’ Just because I never played a role na priest.” (My initial reaction was ‘Can I do it?’ because I had never played a priest before.)

Having starred in heavy dramas, historical romances, and even action-packed series, this role felt entirely new to him.

“I mean, it was mostly romantic, like ‘Pulang Araw,’ heavy drama; and then, ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra,’ historical na may pagka-romcom; ‘Maging Sino Ka Man’, action; and then, now, priest.” (I mean, I mostly did romantic roles like ‘Pulang Araw,’ heavy drama; then ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra,’ which was historical with a bit of romcom; ‘Maging Sino Ka Man’ was action, and now, I’m playing a priest.)

The real challenge for him was making such a reserved character engaging for audiences.

“Ang challenge dito is how do I make it still entertaining despite my role na obviously if you’re a priest, you would think na relaxed lang, timid, hindi ba? So, yun yung naging challenge ko talaga: how do I still make it entertaining.” (The challenge here is how do I make it entertaining despite the fact that priests are often perceived as calm and reserved? That was really my challenge—how do I keep it engaging?)

As Deacon Sam, Licauco finds himself assigned to the notorious town of Sto. Kristo, a place overflowing with sinners. Determined to lead them toward salvation, he establishes the Samahan ng mga Makasalanan, a group that aims to reform the wayward residents. But the mission proves to be more complicated than he anticipated, especially when faced with Mila—played by Sanya Lopez.

Sanya takes on the role of Mila, a woman labeled as the “Tukso ng Bayan.” She is among those who doubt Deacon Sam’s intentions and is torn between helping him succeed or leading him astray.

“Ako dito si Mila. Ang tawag ng bayan sa kanya, ‘Tukso ng Bayan’.” (I play Mila. The town calls her ‘Tukso ng Bayan’ [Town’s Temptation].)

She admitted that her character is one of those skeptical of Reverend Sam’s mission.

“At isa rin ako sa talagang taga-Sto. Kristo na magdududa kay Reverend Sam tungkol sa gusto niyang gawing misyon.” (I am also one of the people of Sto. Kristo who will doubt Reverend Sam’s mission.)

Mila, known for her seductive nature, finds herself at a crossroads. Will she assist in Sam’s mission, or will she become the very temptation that tests him?

“So ngayon, dahil nga tukso ako ng bayan, malalaman natin dito kung ako ba yung tutulong sa misyon ni Reverend Sam o ako yung tutulong para maging miyembro si Reverend Sam sa mga makasalanan.” (So now, since I am the town’s temptation, we will find out whether I will help Reverend Sam with his mission or if I will help make him one of the sinners.)

For Sanya, the film provided a much-needed break after her emotionally intense portrayal of a comfort woman in ‘Pulang Araw.’ However, she admitted having second thoughts about accepting the role.

“Actually no’ng ginawa ko ‘to, may hesitation na talaga na ‘ko e. Sobrang seryoso kasi ni David e!” (Actually, when I did this, I really had hesitations. David is just so serious!)

She jokingly pointed out that her co-star’s serious demeanor made her doubt whether she could handle the lighthearted nature of the film. However, the script won her over.

“Hindi, ano, siguro, kaya ko lang naman tinanggap ‘to because number one, maganda yung story, nakakatuwa siya, sobra!” (No, but really, I only accepted this because, number one, the story is great, it’s really funny!)

Beyond the humor, she was drawn to the film’s valuable message.

“At may mapupulot talagang aral dito. So, nagbabase rin talaga kami now do’n sa kapag may sexy na part, kung talagang maganda yung pelikula. So, medyo pinipili na natin sa ngayon.” (And there’s a valuable lesson to be learned here. So now, we really base our choices on whether a film with sexy scenes has a truly good story. We are being more selective now.)

With a script penned by Benedict Mique and Aya Anunciacion, ‘Samahan ng mga Makasalanan’ blends humor with thought-provoking themes. Alongside Licauco and Lopez, the film boasts a stellar cast, including Joel Torre, David Shouder, Soliman Cruz, Betong Sumaya, Buboy Villar, Chariz Solomon, and more.

Can Deacon Sam resist temptation? Will Sto. Kristo find redemption? Find out when ‘Samahan ng mga Makasalanan’ hits theaters nationwide on April 19, 2025.