‘Give Dionne a chance’

Friends say the real Dionne is truly a lovable sweeetheart

Dionne Dennia Monsanto successfully eluded eviction last Saturday night by garnering a point-something voting difference over the second evictee from the Pinoy Big Brother house, the Fil-Aussie Ezekiel Dimaguila.

This is a promising development for Dionne, who has courted controversy following her actions and relations towards former housemate Zeke days before the 2nd Eviction Night of the second season of the popular ABS-CBN reality TV show.

One of the incidents that prompted negative reactions towards the Cebuana charmer was when she was shown on TV slipping a hand into Zeke’s boxer shorts, while rubbing sunblock on him after Zeke was literally baked under the sun for getting a bad call from Big Brother’s "Big Red Telephone." Zeke also complained to Big Brother that Dionne had bit and scratched him.

"Flirtatious and un-Cebuana like," was how posts on Internet forums read and televiewers described her actions. Fellow housemates also called her actions "improper."

Three of Dionne’s closest friends, however, beg to differ. Having known the real Dionne, they testify as to why Dionne still deserves her title as "Cebu’s Lovable Sweetheart."

One of Dionne’s closest friends, Ma. Nerissa Quiño, remarks how ideal Dionne is as a friend. "She’ll not hesitate to say the bad or worst part of me, if it will make me feel better. Like in my choice of clothes during ordinary and special days, she will criticize me if needed, but will praise me to the highest level if I deserve it."

Anthony Teo, Dionne’s "original" housemate or boardmate, treasures his friendship with Dionne very much. "We talk about relationships, about its pains and joys. She also advises me," he recalls.

Dionne’s leading man, Chris Rey Herrera, in the Lit 3 Pregenesis play at the University of the Philippines-Cebu, confirms, "Yes, she is very caring to all of us. Because she is an actress herself, she teaches us how to project and act properly. She guides us on what to do during practices."

Asked about Dionne’s "violent" and "sweet" actions towards co-housemate Ezekiel, all of her friends agree that Dionne was just being her playful and caring self. "It is normal. In-ana man jud na si Dionne. (That is normal. Dionne is always like that)."

"Nah ako gani, kusog kaayo na siya mohapak sa akong butt. Mao man pud na among greeting aside sa pagpakong sa among mga ulo (She spanks my butt real hard. Well, that’s our greeting every time we see each other, aside from hitting our foreheads)," Quiño explains.

"She always teases me, especially after I take a bath. When I’m wrapped in a towel, she chases me but I just run away. It was nothing because I know it was all a joke," Teo fondly shares.

Herrera, for his part, says, "Dionne is very sweet. She loves to hug. She always bites us—but that is how she jokes around. And it’s nothing to us; we just laugh about it."

Right now, Dionne faces a hard situation aside from the challenges she has to hurdle inside Big Brother’s house—and that is to recreate her wholesome image in the eyes of a judgmental viewing public. But Quiño believes Dionne can survive this, saying, "She’s intelligent. She knows how to handle things well. This is the reason why we never see her in much distress in spite of the issues against her."

Teo thinks that "it is reasonable for Dionne to act like that knowing she has not experienced fatherly or brotherly love and care."

Teo continues, "That’s why she is called lovable sweetheart because by nature she is lovable and sweet. Just as PBB is a reality show, Dionne is being real."

Nevertheless, her friends admit feeling hurt by the negative issues thrown at Dionne. "The criticisms about ate Dionne may have turned off other people, but they should give her a chance and learn to know her true personality," Herrera says.

Furthermore, Quiño perceives all these as entirely a misinterpretation. "Her sweetness is beyond usual. Others may treat it as hurtful and harsh but it’s just the other way around. That’s what makes her different."

The real Dionne is so easy to love, her friends swear. Quiño says, "I think it is just a matter of knowing her beyond first impressions."