Top of 2014: Year of triumphs, scandals aplenty

Stunning and interesting events marked local show biz 2014. Numerous personalities landed in newspaper headlines for triumphs, but quite a lot of others figured prominently in reports on account of scandals and lawsuits.

Vhong Navarro

For sure, actor-TV host Vhong Navarro was the most controversial celebrity last year, having faced three charges of rape—although all of them were dismissed. In April, the Department

of Justice filed a case of serious illegal detention on Navarro’s behalf against businessman Cedric Lee, model Deniece Cornejo and several other suspects. The comedian claimed they detained him in Cornejo’s condominium unit in Taguig City in January. Lee said they beat up Navarro when they caught him in the act of raping Cornejo.

Cherry Pie Picache

The murder of actress Cherry Pie Picache’s 75-year-old mother in September shocked the industry. Houseboy Michael Flores confessed to killing Zenaida Sison in her Quezon City home after robbing her of money and jewelry. Picache thanked police investigators for their help, and announced in a statement that she “missed and loved [her] Mama beyond words.”

Claudine Barretto/

Derek Ramsay

Two celebrities brought their marital woes to court and made headlines. Actress Claudine Barretto is currently engaged in a custody battle with estranged husband Raymart Santiago for their children, Santino, 6, and Sabina, 10. The row turned into a media circus in May when the Marikina Regional Trial Court issued a warrant for Santiago’s arrest in relation to the case (in violation of the Violence Against Women and their Children Act) that Barretto filed in 2013. In July, Barretto accused Santiago of “physical, sexual, psychological and economic” abuse, presenting evidence supposedly dating back to 2002.

In June, actor Derek Ramsay admitted he had a child, now 11 years old and named Austin Gabriel, with a former fashion model whom he married in 2002. Mary Christine Jolly filed a complaint accusing Ramsay of violating the law on violence against women and children. Jolly also claimed she suffered marital rape in Ramsay’s hands. The actor said Jolly was simply trying to tarnish his image.

Billy Crawford

In September, singer-TV host Billy Crawford had his first—and hopefully his last—brush with the law. He was charged with malicious mischief and disobedience of a person in authority by the Taguig City police. This was after Crawford spent an evening with girlfriend Coleen Garcia and a group of friends at a bar in Bonifacio Global City. The TV host insisted he was neither drunk nor under the influence of drugs during the arrest. He denied physically assaulting police officers.

Vice Ganda

In August, TV host Vice Ganda was reprimanded by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board for alleged “offensive and degrading” scenes on his two regular programs, “It’s Showtime!” and “Gandang Gabi Vice.” The comedian apologized to the board and to his viewers. More recently, he hogged the headlines again for his interview with President Benigno Aquino III on “Gandang Gabi Vice,” which drew mixed reactions. Many viewers said the interview humanized P-Noy and was good for his image, but just as many said it was a blatant disrespect of the Office of the President.

Sex videos

Three personalities figured in sex video scandals. “Eat… Bulaga!” host Wally Bayola’s video with EB Babes Yosh Rivera became viral in September 2013, prompting executives of Television And Production Exponents Inc., producer of the longest-running noontime show in the country, to send the comedian on a temporary leave of absence. Bayola apologized publicly and returned to work in February.

The video of TV5 news anchor Paolo Bediones leaked in July. Bediones sought the help of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Division to stop the circulation of the video. TV5 released a statement supporting Bediones, saying it was “a private matter.” Two months later, Bediones was reported to have resigned as host of the news program “Aksyon Tonite.” TV5, however, said he was simply on an “indefinite leave of absence.”

In August, Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda personally sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation in stopping the spread of his second sex video with then-girlfriend, Neri Naig. The couple married three months later.

Breakthrough actors

The past year was a good one for several young artists. The screen partnership of James Reid and Nadine Lustre, JaDine, was most successful. After appearing in the 2013 teen flick “Diary ng Panget,” which reportedly made P130 million at the tills, the duo came up with another blockbuster hit, Andoy Ranay’s “Talk Back and You’re Dead” (boxofficemojo.com placed the total gross at P77 million). This love team, which many believe could challenge that of Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo (KathNiel), prompted ABS-CBN to sign them up for a two-year talent contract.

Raikko Matteo

The overwhelming feedback for his performance—as a boy whose nose grows when he tells a lie—in the ABS-CBN series “Honesto” turned 6-year-old Raikko Matteo into one of the network’s most important child actors. He won best child performer at the 28th Star Awards for TV and most popular male child performer at the 43rd Guillermo Mendoza Box Office Entertainment Awards.

Marc Justine Alvarez

Marc Justine Alvarez, 8, was in two important movies in 2013—Hannah Espia’s “Transit” and Francis Villacorta’s “Pedro Calungsod: Batang Martir.” These projects made him one of the most sought-after child actors last year, on both the big and small screens.

He was last seen on the hit Kapuso series “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real” by Andoy Ranay, and the Jun Robles Lana romantic comedy film “So It’s You.”

Miguel Tanfelix

Miguel Tanfelix, 16, has been in GMA 7’s talent roster since 2004, but only in 2014 did he get his biggest break via the show “Niño,” a fictional drama about the friendship between a mentally challenged boy and the Santo Niño (infant child Jesus). It aired from May to September—80 episodes in 16 weeks.

Hit shows

Boob tube successes were plenty. “The Legal Wife,” which featured Jericho Rosales, Angel Locsin and Maja Salvador, wasn’t dubbed “the cheating drama” for no reason. It discussed infidelity and betrayal and featured a number of cat fights between Salvador and Locsin. The series became a top trending topic on Twitter when it aired a steamy sex scene between Rosales and Salvador in March.

‘Got to Believe’

The ABS-CBN teen-oriented series “Got to Believe” catapulted Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo to stardom. The soap premiered in August 2013 and concluded in March on a high note. The multinational market research group Kantar Media reported that “Got to Believe” had the highest-rating finale episode (38.6 percent nationwide).

‘The Borrowed Wife’

A group of call center employees threatened to boycott GMA 7’s “The Borrowed Wife” after the program allegedly “belittled” them in an episode that featured Rafael Rosell telling costar Charee Pineda: “I did not go to school just to answer phone calls… that job is for uneducated people.” Network bosses immediately came to the rescue, saying it was not the program’s intention to demean call center employees. The series, which also starred Camille Prats, TJ Trinidad and Pauleen Luna, concluded in May, after a successful 18-week run, or a total of 88 episodes.

Celebrity weddings

Ask any TV executive and he will confirm to you that Filipinos are crazy about weddings, especially those of their favorite stars. Thus, reports about the union of top Kapuso actors Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera on Dec. 30 found its way to the front pages of major newspapers and the banner stories of news programs. The couple exchanged “I do’s” at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Quezon City. The reception at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City was attended by an estimated 800 guests.

Only 50 guests were invited to the wedding of TV host Bianca Gonzalez and basketball player JC Intal on El Nido Island in Palawan on Dec. 4. Six days later, the Araneta Coliseum became the venue of a celebration with relatives and friends. Gonzalez described the reception, “Big. I think it’s still very chill; the venue is just… big.”

Actor Jericho Rosales likewise opted for a beach wedding. He married British-Filipino TV host and model Kim Jones on Boracay Island on May 1. Singer-actress Karylle Tatlonghari and Spongecola frontman Yael Yuzon were wed in ultra-private rites at San Antonio de Padua Church, Tagaytay City, and then partied with friends at the Angelfields Nature Sanctuary, also in Tagaytay.

Supporters of TV host Amy Perez cheered when she married ABS-CBN radioman Carlo Castillo at the Mango Farm in Antipolo City on Nov. 12. They had lived together for eight years and already had two kids when Perez’s petition for the annulment of her marriage to former South Border vocalist Brix Ferraris was granted.

Veteran actress Boots Anson-Roa was 69 when she married Francisco “King” Rodrigo Jr., 75, at the Archbishop’s Palace in Mandaluyong City on June 14. Yet she was a vision of youth as a blushing bride. They celebrated with friends at the nearby Wack Wack Country Club.

New romances

Romance blossomed for some celebs. In April, Zsa Zsa Padilla, widow of Comedy King Dolphy, made public her relationship with architect Conrad Onglao.

A month later, Sarah Geronimo confessed she was fellow ABS-CBN artist Matteo Guidicelli’s girlfriend—despite talk that her over-protective parents disapproved of the relationship.

In July, Lovi Poe admitted to dating actor Rocco Nacino. The two Kapuso artists had uploaded photos on Instagram of their trip to Europe three months prior to Poe’s announcement.

After his highly publicized breakup with Nikki Gil in 2013, Billy Crawford revealed in July that he was dating “It’s Showtime” cohost Coleen Garcia.

Comedienne Ai-Ai de las Alas made headlines in September when she said she was with Gerald Sibayan, 29 years her junior. Earlier, in January, the Las Vegas (Nevada) court granted De las Alas’ petition to terminate her marriage to businessman Jed Salang.

Sad goodbyes

The industry was saddened by the passing of talented actors in 2014. Tado (Arvin Jimenez), 39, was among the 14 people who perished in a bus crash in Bontoc, Mt. Province, in February. That same month, character actor Roy Alvarez, 64, died of cardiac arrest.

Best known for playing villains on TV and the big screen, Roldan Aquino passed on at age 65, two months after a massive stroke. Mark Gil, 52, died in September after a two-year battle with liver cancer. Comedienne Tiya Pusit was 66 when she died in October due to complications from a recent operation.

Indie players

The industry received most of its victories from the independent film sector. Indie directors made waves abroad, bagging awards left and right.

Lav Diaz

Lav Diaz is certainly the “winning-est” of the lot last year. After winning best director at the Cinemanila International Film Festival for his four-hour drama “Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan,” Diaz took home the Audience Award at the Murcia International Film Festival in Spain and Best Picture trophy at the Pancevo Film Festival in Serbia.

In Switzerland, he bagged the Golden Leopard, Pardo d’Oro (Best Film), the Fipresci International Film Critics’ Prize, Environment is Quality of Life Prize, the International Federation of Film Societies’ Don Quixote Prize, and Youth Jury Prize at the Locarno International Film Festival—all for “Mula sa Kung Ano ang Ngayon.” He won the audience award/best international film at the Sao Paolo International Film Festival for the same film. He received the Prince Claus Award (The Netherlands), given to artists with outstanding achievements in the field of culture and development.

Jun Robles Lana

Jun Robles Lana made the country proud with three awards for his drama, “Barber’s Tales.” Lana won third place, audience award at the Udine Far East Film Festival in Italy and best director of a foreign film at the 3rd Madrid International Film Festival. He also got the award for best script at the Pyongyang International Film Festival.

Brillante Mendoza

Mikhail Red’s “Rekorder” brought home three awards from festivals in France, Spain and South Korea. Joseph Israel Laban’s “Nuwebe” bagged trophies from competitions in New York and Brazil.

Brillante Mendoza became a Knight (Chevalier) of France. The Cannes award-winning director was inducted into the Order of Arts and Letters, one of France’s highest awards, given to men and women, both French citizens and foreigners, for their achievements in the field of arts or literature.

We look upon 2015 with high hopes for stakeholders to equal, or surpass, last year’s feats.

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TAGS: celebrity scandals, Entertainment, indie film, show biz, Top of 2014, Vhong Navarro