Star Awards sizzlers

SELFIE for (first row, from left) Maja Salvador, John Lloyd Cruz, Ai-Ai de las Alas; (second row from left) Aga Muhlach, Baron Geisler, Dennis Trillo and Piolo Pascual. INQSnap this page, not just the logo, for more photos. PHOTOS BY ARNOLD ALMACEN

One of the biggest surprises at the Philippine Movie Press Club’s (PMPC) 30th Star Awards for Movies on Sunday night was comedian Vice Ganda’s (“Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy”) win over veteran thespian Joel Torre (“On the Job”) for the Movie Actor of the Year trophy.

The result raised not a few eyebrows, and none higher than Jobert Sucaldito’s. The controversial entertainment columnist and radio personality, who also works as publicist for Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito (screen name: Jeorge Estregan), promptly accused the PMPC of rigging the race in favor of Vice Ganda.

In a scalding Facebook post on Monday, Sucaldito related that he had “commissioned” 22 of the 38 voting members to vote for Ejercito, star of the campy action flick “Boy Golden: Shoot to Kill.” However, Sucaldito said that one of the members lobbied for Vice Ganda, a top ABS-CBN star. That member, Sucaldito charged, gave cash to colleagues.

PRESENTERS Alessandra de Rossi and Sid Lucero

Sucaldito said he started campaigning for Ejercito only after learning that the “rightful winner,” Torre, didn’t have the resources to get the votes: “Hindi kayang magbayad.”

In a statement sent to the Inquirer Tuesday night, the PMPC “strongly” refuted Sucaldito’s rants and bewailed “forces that try to destroy the credibility and reputation of the club.” The officers and members stood by all decisions, the statement said, and declared this year’s results “final, uncontestable, and sacred.”

Fun night

The subsequent brouhaha notwithstanding, the awards night had a fair share of fun and heartwarming moments.

Held at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City, the rites ran for more than four hours, with the first winner announced at a little past 9 p.m. and the last at around 1:40 the next morning. Mercifully, the event was attended by colorful personalities that perked up sleepyheads throughout what could have been a tedious affair.

The emcees, former screen sweethearts Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta, proved they could still give younger love teams a run for their money. The way the fans screamed their heads off as the leggy pair hammed it up in a production number, you’d think it was the love team of Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo onstage.

The program, which will be aired on ABS-CBN this Sunday, was studded with annoyingly long gaps, during which not a few spectators tortured their vocal cords to snapping point by way of professing their devotion to Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga. “I love you, Pioloooo! I love you, Toniiii!”

CHITO Roño had to do a second take for his acceptance speech.

Jolted from studying her spiels, Gonzaga quipped, “Ay, may shouting match na nagaganap! ”

Alessandra de Rossi, sleek in a Stephanie Tan creation, jestingly told friends that she was going for the Star of the Night title. She came really close, snagging the Celebrity Great Shape award. “Great body, great face—lahat na! Pangarap ko ’to,” she said, panting, onstage.

Laughter, cheers

One of the 15 recipients of the Dekada Award (given to artists who made waves in the last 10 years), writer-director Jose Javier Reyes drew laughter and cheers, as he started his acceptance speech, thus, “Iiklian ko lang ito dahil ang bukas ay nagsimula na ngayon! ”

Earlier, Reyes was declared Indie Movie Screenwriter of the Year for the Rustica Carpio-starrer, “Ano ang Kulay ng mga Nakalimutang Pangarap,” an entry in last year’s Sineng Pambansa festival. “This film is a tribute, not only to all the nannies and kasambahay who spend their whole lives serving their employers … but also to the elderly, whose lives continue to shine,” he said, speaking in Filipino.

The endearing Carpio, a recipient of the Nora Aunor Lifetime Achievement Award, together with Ricky Lee and Peque Gallaga, couldn’t put down the microphone. The 83-year-old actress-educator said she can’t take it when people tell her they don’t watch Filipino movies. “I love our language; I love our own … kapag inaalok ako ng whitening products, ang sinasabi ko, ayaw kong pumuti. Nais kong manatiling kayumangging kaligatan!”

Chito Roño’s winning moment as Indie Movie Director of the Year for “Badil” had to be reshot, because he was outside the venue when his name was announced by presenter Bea Alonzo. By the time he returned, Alonzo had accepted the trophy on his behalf. Later, claiming his moment, he poked fun at his booboo, then proceeded to thank the Film Development Council of the Philippines for helping him produce “Badil.” “My return to indie is important to me because my very first film was an indie (“Private Show”),” the director said. “I wrote ‘Badil’ a long time ago, and I thought that no one would ever dare produce it. ”

NORA Aunor presented trophy to an industry stalwart.

Good company

The first words that came out of Baron Geisler’s mouth when he was handed the Dekada Award along with Dennis Trillo, John Lloyd Cruz, Aga Muhlach and Piolo Pascual was, “God, I’m old.”

Muhlach said he was thrilled to be in the company of his “batch mates.” He quipped, “I was initially hesitant when they said I was a Dekada awardee. Then I learned John Lloyd was, too, and everything was fine. Dikit-dikit naman ang edad namin, eh! ”

A lot of the hilarious stuff that Ai-Ai de las Alas—whose ample breasts were practically spilling out of her tight dress—said after receiving her Dekada Award would probably not make it to Sunday’s edited telecast.

Casual invitation

She named her seatmate, Dennis Trillo, as her “new inspiration,” and oh-so-casually told him, “Uy, sex tayo ha?” When the crowd erupted in laughter, De las Alas shrieked, “I-edit n’yo ’yun! Pampasaya lang po; nakakaantok eh. ’Yung iba (Baron, John Lloyd, Aga, Piolo) natikman ko na sila!”

Addressing Dennis, a GMA 7 talent, she added, eliciting a second round of chuckles, “I’ll give you my car, my house. Sasabihin ko sa ABS-CBN taasan ang talent fee ko para ma-share ko sa ’yo!”

RICHARD Gomez was greeted by screaming fans. ARNOLD ALMACEN

Inspired by Ellen DeGeneres’ record-breaking selfie at the recent Academy Awards, De las Alas had her own selfie session with the other Dekada awardees, and then with emcees Maja Salvador and Robi Domingo.

After the fun onstage, the cameras stopped rolling. As De las Alas descended the stage she realized that she had forgotten to thank Wenn V. Deramas, director of her wildly successful “Tanging Ina” movie franchise, in her thank-you speech.

“Ayan, sa kalandian ko, nakalimutan ko si Direk Wenn!”

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