“Napakalaking katarantaduhan.”
Some celebrities did not hold back in criticizing the “disrespectful” action shown by the organizers of the 2024 FAMAS Awards Night towards her veteran actress Eva Darren.
These came following the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences’ (FAMAS) official statement addressing the fiasco during the 72nd FAMAS awards night where Darren, who was initially scheduled as an award presenter, was reportedly replaced at the last minute without any explanation.
Fellow veteran actress Divine Valencia witnessed the events firsthand as she was one of the recipients of the Iconic Movie Actress of Philippine Cinema award. She and Darren were seated together at the same table, along with fellow veteran actress Marissa Delgado.
In her Facebook post, Valencia stated, “Hindi ko matatanggap ang dahilang napakalaking katarantaduhan na hindi makita si Ms Eva Darren.”
According to Valencia, it was “a huge BS” that the FAMAS management claimed they couldn’t find Darren inside the venue, which led to her being replaced by rising singer, Sheena Palad, as an award presenter alongside veteran actor Tirso Cruz III.
“This excuse is so narrow. It’s a big BS para lang makagawa ng dahilan matapos na saktan ninyo ang damdamin ni Ms Eva Darren kasama ang mga apo na umasa pero nasaktan.”
Valencia shared that Darren was among the earliest attendees to arrive at the event. She was accompanied by her grandchildren who hoped to see their grandmother go up on stage.
She further explained that their table was close to the stage and that all the seats had name tags for the attending artists.
“Hindi ma-locate eh lahat ng mga artistang dumating, may upuang nakapangalan ng bawat nakaupo?”, the veteran actress remarked.
Following this, Valencia criticized FAMAS for making attendees pay for their dinner and awarding individuals who, according to her, had no connection to the movie industry.
“Imagine FAMAS, kung [sino-sinong] mga hindi naman taga-movie industry eh mga tumatanggap ng kanya-kanyang plaque?
“Ginagamit ang mga artista tapos pinahiya[,] sinaktan ang isang Eva Darren na talagang isang icon. Tumanggap ng Famas na [totoong] Famas,” she stressed.
“Dahilang ‘di ko matanngap kahit 10x pa [kayong] mag sorry. Damage has been done,” Valencia concluded her post.
Likewise, another seasoned actress, Rita Avila expressed her frustration and anger over the alleged disrespect shown by FAMAS to her fellow veteran star .
In her online post, Rita criticized the award-giving body for its actions and questioned their public apology and explanation for removing Darren from the list of presenters.
She also called out the unfairness of inviting someone to an event and then making them pay for their own meal, while also mentioning a common issue at press conferences where some invited artists are ignored by reporters, suggesting that only the main stars would receive attention.
In a separate Instagram post, Avila reposted De La Pena’s response to FAMAS’ apology, where she expressed her dismay over the organization’s reason for replacing Darren.
Talent manager Ogie Diaz also reacted strongly to the incident, sharing his disappointment with the recent 72nd FAMAS awards on Facebook.
Diaz sarcastically questioned the explanation given by FAMAS for prompting a last-minute replacement and mocked the organizers, suggesting absurd scenarios for why Eva couldn’t be found.
“Sa tanda naman ni Ms. Eva, saan naman kaya siya pupunta? Nagte-table hopping ba siya? Nagyosi sa backstage? Nag-jog sa Quirino Grandstand? Namamasyal sa Luneta?”, he remarked, before adding, “Mga palaka kayo!”
Ogie criticized them further, alleging that some awards were given to undeserving recipients simply because they “sponsored” the event.
“Samantalang me nakapasabi sa akin (kayo nang mga taga-riyan ang sumagot kung true), binigyan nyo ng award ang ilang hindi naman karapat-dapat magka-award porke nag-sponsor lang nang malaki. True ba?”, Diaz implied.
“Tapos, inabala nyo yung matandang nirerespeto sa industriya para lang mabastos sa Gabi ng Parangal? Iba talaga ang tinitingnan sa tinititigan,” he concluded his post.
Actor Cedrick Juan also briefly reacted to the issue by resharing De La Pena’s post.
“Hayyyy.. hindi daw siya mahanap. Kaya nga may organizers ang bawat event. Lungkot,” wrote Juan.
The rising actor, whose biopic film “GomBurZa” was one of the participating movies at the FAMAS awarding this year, and for which he was also nominated for Best Actor.
Previously, FAMAS issued its apology to Darren and her family, explaining that they were “not able to locate” Darren during the event, due to the challenges inherent in the live broadcast and the bustling atmosphere of the occasion.
