Image: Instagram/@ogie_diaz
[Updated: March 18, 2023, 1:57 p.m.]
Ogie Diaz once again spoke up about speculations hounding his then manager-and-talent relationship with Liza Soberano, denying claims he had 40% commission on the actress’ talent fee.
The comedian-talent manager talked about this in his YouTube vlog on Friday, March 3, to address one Twitter user, @kaibengzon, who alleged that Diaz was compensated with almost half of the actress’ earnings.
Ang lala nung 40% commission. Ang laki pala talaga ng nawawala sa kanya. Wala pa diyan yung sa SM. Tas yung isang brand na umatras kasi nagpadagdag ng TF si OD kahit ok na kay Liza yung offer. Grabe parang ginagawa niyong diyos ang pera. Disgusting
— kai (@kaibengzon) February 28, 2023
“How I wish,” Diaz said. “Hanggang [20%] lang po kami (I only charged 20%)… It’s not true at all. I was only getting 20%.”
Diaz’s co-host in the vlog, Mama Loi Villarama, then pointed out that Diaz and Soberano initially agreed—and it was stated in their contract—that the talent manager would be paid 30% of the actress’ talent fee.
“Totoo na ‘yung kay Liza, [30%] ‘yon pero ako na ang lumabag sa sarili kong kontrata kasi makikita mo naman talaga ‘yung sipag nung bata,” Diaz explained. “Makikita mo talaga kay Liza [na] gusto niyang mag-excel at ma-achieve ‘yung goal niya maging artista.”
(It is true that my commission on Liza’s talent fee should have been 30%, but I violated my own contract because you could really see how hard-working the kid was. It was evident that Liza wanted to excel and achieve her goal to be an actor.)
“Hindi ako naawa kundi sabi ko, ‘Deserve ng bata ‘to [kaya] 20% na lang,'” he recalled. “So ako rin ang lumabag sa kontrata na ako ang gumawa para lang makapag-ipon ‘yung bata.”
(It was not out of pity. [I] thought, “This kid deserves it so I will only charge 20%.” I violated my own contract so she could save up.)
Diaz also reiterated how he pitched to Soberano the Philippine adaptation of the hit Korean TV series “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” and waived the commission he could have gotten from it.
“Gusto ko na lang [tanggapin niya ‘yon] kasi gusto kong makita siya ng mga fans na lang talaga. Hindi na ‘yon pera-pera,” he stressed. (I wanted her to accept the project because I wanted her fans to see her. It was not about money anymore.) /ra