Rap on Kuya Mark: Don’t judge my brother

MANILA, Philippines - Rap Fernandez is trying to stay positive that his brother Mark Anthony Fernandez will get out of the mess he’s in.

Mark Anthony is being detained at a Pampanga jail for allegedly violating R.A. 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act. According to an earlier STAR report, the actor was arrested last Oct. 3 in Angeles City, Pampanga at around 8:30 p.m. after police allegedly discovered a kilo of marijuana in his Ford Mustang. Under the law, a person caught with 500 grams of marijuana or more cannot post bail and if charged in court and proven guilty, can be imprisoned for life. Mark denied owning the kilo of marijuana, but admitted to pot use for medicinal purposes.

“Parang tingin ko may injustice doon. (There are) conflicted statements of Mark and the police,” said Rap of his half-brother with their late father, action star Rudy Fernandez, during the launch of the 2016 Cinema One Originals film festival, where his movie Every Room is a Planet is a finalist, last Wednesday.

Rap together with his mom Lorna Tolentino and younger brother Renz have already visited Mark, whose mom is Alma Moreno.

“Yung version niya ng kwento is that it’s not his... Magaling naman ang legal counsel niya. We trust her. Hopefully, he gets off, he comes free,” said Rap.

He also pointed out that Mark’s case has “actually been moved for reinvestigation at the fiscal level.”

“Wala pa siya sa trial. We cannot judge him,” Rap added.

When asked about his brother’s current condition, Rap said, “(In the) initial detention cell, he was alone. That was at the district level. He’s been moved twice. Na-disturb siya ng husto sa second venue, (there were 100 of them) parang sardinas (packed like sardines). In the third one, mas OK na dahil apat na lang sila doon (because there were only four of them). Di pa kami nakakabalik pero nagpadala ako ng pagkain (We haven’t returned there yet, though I sent him food).”

Mark’s arrest and admission to marijuana use supposedly on the advice of his doctor to prevent cancer — the cause of death of dad Rudy in 2008 — also spotlighted the debate on the legalization of medical marijuana in the country.

Rap said, “I support what’s happening,” referring to Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs. However, he also shared the view of his uncle, actor Robin Padilla, who’s pushing for the revival of the HB180 in Congress, or the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act, which was first filed in 2014. Cannabis, also known as Marijuana, is one of the prohibited substances under the Dangerous Drugs Act.

“I am also with Tito Robin (Padilla) in his statements about medmar (medical marijuana),” Rap said.

“It has already been legalized in California some 20 years ago. It’s time that we become open to the idea here, too. Even President Duterte mentioned that he was in favor of it, in two instances.”

Pres. Duterte previously said that he was not opposed to the use of medical marijuana, but he had also warned that those using it for recreational purposes will be arrested.

Meantime, Rap has appealed for “compassion and kindness” towards Mark. “Don’t be mean. He’s a good person. I know him. He’s my brother. Don’t throw stones at him. Your life is not perfect.”

Meanwhile, Rap is part of Every Room is a Planet, an entry to this year’s Cinema One Originals, which runs from Nov. 6 to 22. Directed by Malay Javier, the sci-fi romance tells the story of a mentally-unstable girl who believes her husband was kidnapped by aliens and her husband’s brother who’s enamored with her.

Apart from acting, Rap has been busy licensing all the films of his father. “He has produced a lot of films. I’m the one taking care of them. I had it all digitized. Next step? My concern is the storage. I’m studying how to do it.”

He produced a docu on Rudy last year, and is looking to produce more films.

Rap was asked if he had it easier in showbiz because of his lineage. “Talking about lineage, this is a funny thing. My grandfather is Gregorio Fernandez, a film director for LVN and Sampaguita Pictures. Director niya ang great-grandfather ng director ko sa pelikulang ito (Every Room is a Planet). My co-star, Valeen Montenegro, grandfather naman niya ay si Mario Montenegro na artista ng lolo ko. Kaming tatlo, may koneksyon,” he shared.

“It is an advantage. But you can also come from outside. It’s all fair game depending on what you can do. All is fair in love and war and in showbiz.”