GMA's "24 Oras" identified the man as Bayle Einstein Gonzales, 20, who reportedly refused to stand even when he was told to do so by Charge D' Affaires to Iraq Elmer Cato, who was also in the cinema.
In a Facebook post, Cato said he "confronted" Gonzales "for not bothering to rise for the Philippine national anthem" while the rest of the audience did, including foreigners.
"I asked him twice to stand up but he just would not. I just could not let the disrespect of the flag and the national anthem by someone I initially thought was a foreign national pass," he said.
"I was so agitated I was not really able to enjoy the movie. I had to do something to teach this Filipino a lesson. And I did," Cato added.
Gonzales will face charges of violating the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines and could be fined from P5,000 to P20,000 and jailed for as long as a year.
Earlier this year, House Bill 5224 mandating stricter compliance with the rules on showing reverence to national symbols was approved on third and final reading.
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