Milking the Claudine-Carmina issue

The advertising agency that produced a Lactum TV commercial has issued an official statement refuting what I wrote in my column last January 30 about the tension that transpired between product endorsers Claudine Barretto and Carmina Villarroel during the shoot.

Fine, that’s the agency executives’ prerogative. Strange how quick they were to react. In the first place, I didn’t mention any product. For all they know, Claud and Mina may have another endorsement together.

Lactum, Got Milk or Got Guilt?

It’s a clear case of damage control, which is understandable. In advertising, image is everything. They’re just doing their job and I am doing mine.

I didn’t lambast their product. Neither did I go Claud/Mina-bashing. I just told it like it was.

Insiders know about Claud’s quirks on the set but I’d rather not go into details. Artists are entitled to their quirks. So be it.

Twitter haters

As expected, Claud’s supporters are waging war against me on Twitter. Fanatics are fanatics. Every show-biz writer has to learn to live with that.

After I interviewed Claud in Kalibo last January, I cleared up the issue behind the bank withdrawal controversy involving her and husband Raymart Santiago and the rumors about their shaky marriage in a previous column. Some fans don’t bother to acknowledge positive write-ups about their idol. On the other hand, they overreact when something unfavorable is written.

I’ve worked hard to earn my readers’ respect. I don’t write for some PR firm and cover up the truth. I am a true child of show biz; my mom didn’t raise me to concoct stories.

If the story was completely baseless, why go to great lengths to clarify it? Of course they have to protect their endorsers! Who am I compared to a big company like theirs? But I won’t give them the pleasure of bullying me. I stand my ground.

To the people behind Lactum: Sorry I’m lactose intolerant. Go ahead and milk the issue for all it’s worth.

‘Katy’ auditions

Auditions for the musical “Katy,” by Ryan Cayabyab and Jose Javier Reyes, will be held 10 a.m. Monday at the Spotlight Artists Center, Doña

Consolacion Bldg., 122 Jupiter St., Makati. This extravaganza may yet be the biggest Filipino musical of 2012. Call Yssa at 899-8089.

(E-mail the author at [email protected].)