Alfred Vargas’ controversial action on ABS-CBN franchise renewal case being used to discredit his film ‘Tagpuan’

Shaina Magdayao (left) and Alfred Vargas in “Tagpuan”

For Alfred Vargas, words can make or break a person.

This is why the actor would take great pains to correct a misconception about him whenever he gets the chance.

Alfred, who is also Quezon City 5th District representative, received intense criticism, “even death threats,” for his decision to inhibit from voting on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal. He cited “conflict of interest” as a reason not to join the House legislative franchise committee members when they voted on the fate of the embattled media giant.

“People called me names. Nabastos tayo. Until now, people use this issue against me and my movie,” he told Inquirer Entertainment during an exclusive Zoom chat. “I just want to set the record straight. I inhibited from voting because of the circumstances that I was in. We want to always follow the law.”

Alfred is the lead star and one of the producers of McArthur Alejandre’s dramatic piece, “Tagpuan,” an entry to the 46th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). It also features Iza Calzado and Shaina Magdayao.

“Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. I’ve already accepted that I have bashers. I just ignore them. I thought, at least we have something to talk about aside from ‘Tagpuan,’” said Alfred. “It’s just that, my parents—especially my mom—taught me that if people are saying wrong things about you, it’s your responsibility to correct them.

I just want to say that it’s not true that I voted ‘yes,’ or ‘no’ or even ‘abstain.’ What records will show was that I inhibited from voting.”

Alfred said he discovered that not everyone understood the difference between “abstain” and “inhibit,” that’s why they’re “spreading fake news.” He explained: “When it was time to vote on the franchise renewal, my legal team discovered that I have a ‘personal and pecuniary interest’ because I have an outstanding contract with one of the departments of the network that I have to uphold. They said that if I would benefit from the voting, then I surely couldn’t participate. I needed to inhibit out of delicadeza.

If not, I could be subject to an ethical case and this could cost me my job as a congressman.”

For whatever it’s worth, Alfred said he was really for the approval of the franchise. “I understand why other people reacted the way they did at the time,” the actor said, adding that while this was happening, he was engaged in talks with current ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak.

“He was the first one to understand my position. When I explained to him why I needed to inhibit, and he said he understood, I felt calm and happy already,” Alfred recalled. “People tend to spread lies or say libelous statements when they’re emotional, but Mr. Katigbak is a decent and smart person. He understands the realities.”

This was why Alfred said he was concerned when people would use the issue to discredit “Tagpuan.”

“I believe I have a good film. Let’s be wary of fake news. It’s about time we learn how to discern,” Alfred declared.

Vargas

Alfred, the producer, is banking on the artistic merits of the film and the brilliance of its screenwriter Ricky Lee to promote it. “Also, I’m happy to have worked with two of our best actresses today for ‘Tagpuan,’” he said.

“Tagpuan,” according to Alfred, is an intersection in the lives of three characters, Allan (Alfred), Tanya (Shaina) and Agnes (Iza).

“It’s my first time to work with Shaina and it was such a pleasure. She really breathed life into the character of Tanya,” said Alfred. “I’m always mesmerized by her performance. I hope to still be able to work with her in the future. She’s very professional. She was never late on the set. We shot our scenes in Hong Kong while the rallies and riots were ongoing, but we’ve managed to do it because she’s very passionate and dedicated to her work. Wala siyang kiyeme.”

Iza, on the other hand, is one of Alfred’s favorite leading ladies. They shot their “Tagpuan” scenes in New York City, Alfred reported.

“We did several heavy scenes in Brooklyn. Ang galing ng Iza Calzado! Actually, our chemistry has always been good. Yet, she still surprised me with this project. The one thing I learned from her is to always be open to trying new things. That’s exactly what I did in this film project,” he said.

This year’s edition of the MMFF will run from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2021. Since Dec. 7, tickets for “Tagpuan” and nine other film fest entries have been made available exclusively via UPSTREAM.ph for only P250. INQ