Showbiz Roundup: AR De La Serna on spotlight; Ogie Diaz vs Bea Alonzo

Mister Supranational Philippines titleholder AR De La Serna is the most-talked-about personality of the week after he was linked to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) allegations made against former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque.

Meanwhile, show biz insider Ogie Diaz was in fighting form as he filed a complaint for perjury and damages against Bea Alonzo, alongside his counter-affidavit in the cyberlibel charge she lodged against him and his co-hosts.

Look back at the hottest showbiz news as we recall INQUIRER.net’s top-ranking entertainment stories from June 14 to 20.

Who is AR De La Serna?

When former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s name got dragged in the government’s ongoing crackdown on POGO hubs operated by Chinese high-rollers in the country, another name surfaced during the investigation: his former executive assistant Alberto Rodulfo “AR” De La Serna.

Recovered by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) at the hub at the Lucky South 99 compound in Porac, Pampanga, was De La Serna’s appointment papers as Executive Assistant III under what used to be Roque’s office as the Palace’s mouthpiece.

De La Serna was a former male pageant contestant who first competed at the 2015 Misters of Filipinas pageant. He later became the Philippines’ representative in the first-ever staging of the Mister Supranational competition in Poland in 2016.

This is not the first time De La Serna’s link to Roque was made known to the public. He was also seen in some of the photographs of the former official and reportedly accompanied him on some of his previous foreign trips.

Along with De La Serna’s appointment papers dated Oct. 5, 2021, also retrieved from the POGO hub was an affidavit of support from Roque himself, where he declared that he would take full responsibility for all the financial support that his assistant will require for the duration of a trip to Poland, Ukraine, and Italy in October 2023.

“I am financially capable and willing to cover all expenses related to De La Serna’s travel, including, but not limited to, transportation, accommodation, meals, medical expenses, and any other necessary costs,” the affidavit signed by Roque stated. The former official said he was invited to Europe as a resource person in a forum on the peace process in Ukraine and will need a travel companion “since I am diabetic, with coronary stent and suffering from acute spinal stenosis.”

“Yan po ay dating tao ko pa, at syempre matagal ko na syang di ko tao. Dala-dala lang yung mga records. Ang balita ko po ay nakikitira dahil bumalik po sa eskwelahan yan. Ang alam ko po ay panandalian ang pag stay nya doon, at nakalipat na naman sya kaya lang may mga gamit pa na naiwan doon. Pero nag conclusion na naman ang ating kapulisan, ‘nothing criminal po, nothing suspicious,’” he said in a separate interview with SMNI.

But Roque’s decision to bring De La Serna to his travels is being questioned by netizens on social media. The latter, however, has yet to comment on the matter.

Ogie Diaz files perjury raps vs Bea Alonzo

Ogie Diaz filed a counter-affidavit and a complaint for perjury and damages against Bea Alonzo on June 18 before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

Through his lawyer Regie Tongol, Diaz and co-respondent Mama Loi, whose real name is Loi Villarama, sought to dismiss the P30 million in damages sought by Alonzo in a filing.

In their 70-page counter-affidavit, Diaz and Mama Loi called out Alonzo for not clearly stating in her complaint affidavit who said the “defamatory utterances” that she complained of, making it appear that it was all Diaz who made them. This would show Alonzo’s failure to prove “actual malice” on the part of the respondents, they said.

“They even failed to show clear and convincing proof of ‘actual malice’ whether in the form of ‘reckless disregard for the truth’ or ill-motive which is a legal requirement and standard if the complainant is a public figure. The opinions expressed by Mr. Diaz’s co-hosts on the Nov. 19, 2022 episode were merely based on a common truthful observation of the netizens of the performance of her show, ‘Startup PH,’ as pointed out in their several comments online,” a statement issued by Tongol read.

Respondents added that Alonzo’s two counts of cyber libel even included the Nov. 19, 2022 episode in the “Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update” YouTube channel, which means that it already missed the one-year prescriptive period within which to file her complaint for cyber libel.

For the other count of libel of the Feb. 12, 2024 episode of Diaz’s vlog on Alonzo allegedly being offered projects after giving first crack to fellow Kapuso actress Marian Rivera, respondents claimed their utterances were not defamatory as such occurrences were not unusual in local and international show business, much less in their home network, “given that Mrs. Rivera-Dantes is the undisputed queen of GMA.”

As for the perjury case, the complaint pertained to including Mama Loi in Alonzo’s cyber libel charge even though she didn’t say anything in the vlog.

Interviewed by INQUIRER.net on the phone, Tongol said Alonzo also perjured herself when she declared Quezon City to be her place of residence when she had been stating in public and the media that she maintains a residence in Spain.

“This raises the affirmative defense of improper venue that merits the dismissal of the cyber libel case,” he said.

At the same time, Diaz and Mama Loi underscored the need for writers and journalists such as them not to be “cowered by the filing of cases just to suppress their freedom of expression, and of the press by public figures who are too onion-skinned.”

Willie Revillame’s new show ‘Wil to Win’

An emotional Willie Revillame jumpstarted his TV5 comeback by revealing his new show “Wil to Win,” bidding farewell to his previous program “Wowowin.”

The TV host announced during a surprise Facebook livestream on June 14, highlighting the rebranding of his social media pages as part of his partnership with MQuest Ventures Inc.

During the livestream, Revillame showed a video compilation of his journey with “Wowowin” which moved him to tears.

“Salamat, Wowowin,” he said with his breaking voice. “For almost seven years, araw-araw ko kayong kasama sa GMA. Maraming pagsubok, maraming nangyari; may luha ng kaligayahan, may luha ng hinagpis na araw-araw kong nararamdaman.”

“Sorry, naging emosyonal ako kasi mawawala na ho kasi si ‘Wowowin.’ Magpapaalam na po ang programang ‘Wowowin,’” he added.

The TV host then teased the upcoming “Wil to Win” segments which primarily aim to help its viewers by giving away cash prizes. He also revealed that the show is set to give away a brand-new car on their first episode—the date of which has yet to be revealed.

“Hindi po lumalaos ang programang tumutulong sa ating mga kababayan,” he said.

In a separate statement, Revillame shared that his new show’s title aims to deliver the message: “Pag may Wil to Win, lahat kayang gawin!”

Ogie Alcasid, family ‘back together’ in Australia

Ogie Alcasid flew to Australia along with his wife Regine Velasquez and their son Nate to reunite with ex-wife Michelle van Eimeren and their daughters, Leila and Sarah.

Their whole family, including Van Eimeren’s husband Mark Morrow, bonded over a meal, as seen on Ogie’s Instagram page last June 12.

“Finally our family is back together!” Ogie wrote. “We celebrate Mark’s birthday, Sarah’s graduation, Leila’s graduation soon, Nate’s graduation, and Shelley’s (van Eimeren) graduation.”

Sarah earlier graduated from the university and earned a nursing degree, while van Eimeren finished her degree in fine arts. Nate, meanwhile, graduated from grade school last April. Leila, meanwhile, was said to be taking up interior design in Australia.

Van Eimeren, who represented Australia at the 1994 Miss Universe wed Ogie in 1996. Their marriage was annulled in 2007.

Ogie and Velasquez then tied the knot in 2010 and welcomed their son Nate a year later.

Alcasid, Velasquez, and Van Eimeren maintained close ties as a blended family, with Velasquez crediting van Eimeren for the harmonious relationship between them.

Ellen Adarna defends John Lloyd Cruz’s ‘absence’

Ellen Adarna snapped at a netizen who concluded that John Lloyd Cruz was absent at their son Elias’ moving-up ceremony, all because he was not in the actress’ photo on Instagram.

On her Instagram last June 17, Adarna shared a lone picture of herself and husband Derek Ramsay with soon-to-be six-year-old Elias during the latter’s graduation from preschool, which she captioned: The only decent moving up photo [laughing emoji].”

However, one netizen commented on the seeming absence of Cruz in the picture, opining that he “should be present” at his son’s milestone.

“And you should mind your own business. Just because [he’s] not in the photo [doesn’t] mean he was not there,” Adarna clapped back.

The actress then pointed out that Cruz is a “present father” to his son, and always does his best to be available for their son’s milestones.

“Wag masyadong close-minded, manang. Present father naman siya, meaning present din siya sa lahat ng milestones ng anak niya,” she said.

Elias is Adarna’s son with Cruz, whom they welcomed in 2018. They were in a relationship from 2017 to 2019. Both of them are now in happy relationships — Adarna to Ramsay, and Cruz to artist Isabel Santos.