Star Awards: Fair or foul?

Oh, no, not again!?!

The 21st Star Awards (For Movies) of the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) held last Saturday night at the newly-opened Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City, came and went with hardly any whimper, with a relatively lackluster attendance (could it be because just around the bend Norah Jones was having a well-attended concert at the Araneta Coliseum; among those in the audience was Star Awards Best Actress nominee Judy Ann Santos, for Aishite Imasu 1941, who said she’s a diehard NJ fan?).

But wait a minute, the Star Awards just might create a big bang in its wake because of claims that – hold on to your seats now! – the awards were "rigged." Accusations like that usually reverberate during the awards season and soon die down after a while – until the next awards come around. (Award-giving bodies have so sprouted, now a dime a dozen, that many of them have lost credibility and wiped out public curiosity altogether, haven’t they?)

First the questions begging for answers:

• Was there any "vote-buying"?

• Was there any "switching of envelopes"?

• Were the 25 PMPC voting members, figuratively speaking, "wined and dined"?

• Was Piolo Pascual the "real" Best Actor winner (for Star Cinema’s Milan) and not Dennis Trillo (for Aishite Imasu 1941)?

• Were there any "leaks"?

• Were majority of the PMPC members "partial" to some nominees?

(Take note: Some vital/crucial words are in quotation marks for understandable reason.)

Early yesterday morning, an unimpeachable DPA called up Funfare to report alleged "irregularities" in the Star Awards which came just a week after the two-year-old Golden Screen Awards given by the Enpress (Entertainment Press Society) composed of PMPC breakaway members. The PMPC is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as sympathetic to ABS-CBN/Star Cinema; while the Enpress is perceived also rightly or wrongly, as sympathetic to GMA 7/GMA Films.

Major winners in the Golden Screen Awards were: Minsan Pa (Best Picture), Jeffrey Jeturian (Best Director for Minsan Pa), Judy Ann Santos (Best Actress for Aishite Imasu 1941), Cesar Montano (Best Actor for Panaghoy sa Suba), Ara Mina (Best Supporting Actress for Minsan Pa) and Johnny Delgado (Best Supporting Actor for Santa-Santita).

Major winners in the Star Awards were: Milan (Star Cinema, Best Picture), Olivia Lamasan (Best Director, Milan), Vilma Santos (Best Actress for Mano Po 3: My Love), Dennis Trillo (Best Actor for Aishite Imasu 1941), Ara Mina (Best Supporting Actress for Minsan Pa) and Jay Manalo (Best Supporting Actor for Mano Po 3: My Love).

Early on, talks were ripe that Piolo Pascual (for Milan) and Kris Aquino (for Feng Shui, also by Star Cinema) were, well, "sure" winners.

According to the Funfare DPA, several days before the awards night, a PMPC member admitted that he received P5,000 from a Star Cinema "representative" and when the member asked what the money was for, the rep told him that somebody from Star Cinema would do the explaining.

The suspected "bribe" (read: "vote-buying") came up Friday night during the final deliberations where all the 25 voting PMPC members were present. A voting was conducted whether or not to "disqualify" Piolo from the race because of the alleged "bribery" attempt (of which Piolo might not be aware at all).

Said the Funfare DPA, "Thirteen members voted not to disqualify Piolo, five abstained and the remaining seven were presumed to be ‘sympathetic’ to Dennis Trillo."

So when awards night came and Dennis, instead of Piolo, was declared the winner, some PMPC members cried "Foul!" In short, they suspected – nay, "charged" – that there was "switching of envelopes."

Funfare called up Joe Barrameda, incumbent president of the PMPC (of which yours truly was once vice president, with Ethel Ramos as president), to air his side.

"No," Joe was vehement, "there was no ‘switching of envelopes’ at all. As far as I’m concerned, malinis ang awards namin."

Joe said that he was in the States (to cover the concert of John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo in L.A. and San Francisco) when rumors of "leaks" started to spread, with Piolo and Kris named as "sure" winners. But at noon last Saturday, the "leaks" had it that Dennis and Vilma, not Piolo and Kris, were "it."

Added Joe, "During our deliberations, it’s true that we conducted a vote whether or not to disqualify Piolo because of the alleged ‘bribery’ try. I want the PMPC Star Awards to be above suspicion, that’s why I encouraged the members to lay their cards on the table during that deliberation.

"It’s true that 13 members voted not to disqualify Piolo, five abstained and the remaining seven were presumed to be pro-Dennis Trillo. But," Joe stressed, "it doesn’t necessarily mean that those who voted not to disqualify Piolo actually voted for him. The way I understand it, they only voted to retain Piolo in the competition, pero how can we be sure kung sino talaga ang ibinoto nila for Best Actor?"

Joe said that he has the envelope containing the tabulation done by an accountant from RPN 9.

"It is sealed," said Joe. "It’s the proof that those announced the winners during the awards night were the real winners, na walang dayaang nangyari, na walang ‘switching of envelopes.’ My conscience is clear."

Now, was the Star Awards fair or foul?

It’s the word of one group of members against that of the other half of the club.

The PMPC is the second group to give awards. More awards coming up: The Urian (of the film critics), the FAMAS, the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) Awards and half a dozen others, making this land awards-crazy.

Will the brewing brouhaha over the Star Awards be swept into the dustbin just like similar post-awards controversies?

Okay, next awards, please!

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