Donna and Carlo: No plan to do Nida Blanca movie

Because they popularized the so-called "massacre films" (the same genre that made a box-office star out of Kris Aquino who starred in the movie about the celebrated Vizconde massacre), Golden Lions couple Donna Villa and Carlo J. Caparas are invariably asked, everytime a sensational murder hogs the headlines, if they’re going to do a movie about it. A recent case in point is the puzzling Nida Blanca murder which is back on the front pages after Nida’s husband, Rod Strunk, was tagged by the NBI as principal suspect.

In an ambush TV interview, Donna said that, if ever, she and Carlo would love to do a movie about Nida Blanca and, if ever, they’d first consult Nida’s daughter Kaye Torres about it. Which producer nga naman wouldn’t grab the opportunity, if ever, knowing that the sensational case is a surefire box-office hit.

Said Carlo, "Kaye Torres or anybody can check with the MTRCB or with any industry agency if our company, Golden Lions Films, has submitted any script for a Nida Blanca movie and they’ll find out that there’s none. Kaye should have verified the matter first before threatening to slap us with a court case."

"Nothing is definite," said Donna when asked about it the other day during a lunch she and Carlo hosted for choice movie writers at Annabel’s Restaurant for their good friend, Justice Undersecretary Jose C. Calida, "that’s why I said ‘if ever’. In short, we don’t have a plan to produce any movie yet."

The last time they did was, wait, was it five or six years ago? Two years ago, Carlo and Donna announced in a presscon, also held at Annabel’s that they were doing a movie about the colorful and dramatic life of Sen. Ramon Mitra who was present at the event. But the plan went pffft due to objections from some relatives of Mitra who died a few months later without seeing his "dream bioflick" get off the launching pad.

The truth is that Carlo and Donna are enjoying a well-deserved respite (not "retirement," take note) with their children CJ and Peach in their Cebu home, away from the madding crowd, attending to their real-estate business.

Donna and Carlo met with their media friends not to discuss the "Nida Blanca case" but to introduce them to Undersecretary Calida who is on the short list of possible/probable successor of Ombudsman Aniano Desierto (retiring on Aug. 4). It was Calida who defended Donna and Carlo in the many cases (including petition for restraining orders, etc.) filed against them in the course of their producing "massacre" and true-life murder stories. "We won in all those cases," beamed Donna.

Calida is "showbiz" in a way, not just due to his association with Donna and Carlo but because he’s a convenor of the God’s People’s Coalition for Righteousness (GPCR) which staged protests and prayer rallies and lobbied against the proliferation of pornography and smut films. A bemedalled sharpshooter, Calida became known as "Erap’s tormentor" because he was a frontliner in the prosecution’s battery of lawyers against the ousted President Joseph Estrada. A genuine crusader, Calida is behind CIBAC (Citizens Battle Against Corruption).

A Born-again Christian, Calida turned 52 last July 7. He was a dean’s lister at the Ateneo College of Law where he graduated in 1993, the same year he passed the bar exams with a general average of 83.25 percent (100 percent in Criminal Law, 90 percent in Civil Law and 90 percent in Taxation). He’s married to Milagros Parantar Ordaneza, also from Davao like him, with whom he has three children.

As Justice Undersecretary since March 12, 2001, Calida is in-charge of the NBI, the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), the DOJ Task Force on Corruption and Internal Security and the DOJ Task Force on Financial Fraud and Money Laundering.

Despite his hectic schedule and the burden of his responsibilities, Calida has, by the grace of God, stuck to his priorities and passion in life, which is best described by a framed Bible verse hung on the wall of his office: Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).

Very obviously, Carlo and Donna swear by Calida’s integrity and track record that’s why they’re all-out in rallying behind him.

The case for and against the FAMAS

Last Tuesday, Funfare put out a "Curtain-raiser" item about the recent "turbulent" FAMAS elections, marked, according to the DPA, "with goons, guns and gold, and hurling back and forth of ugly charges and counter-charges" that shouldn’t be expected and shouldn’t happen in an organization "supposed to foster friendship and camaraderie among its members." The DPA further accused "one group fighting tooth and nail, by hook or by crook, to gain the presidency which has been rotating these past years among only three or four people."

Here’s newly-reelected FAMAS president Charlie Arcega’s rejoinder to that "disturbing" item:

Dear Ricky,

This is in reference to your column (Funfare, July 16, issue) to which an allusion was made that the recently-concluded FAMAS election of officers was marred with vote buying and shouting matches.

Let me state for the record that the claim was preposterous and outlandish and was designed only to destroy the good image of the oldest award-giving body. We celebrated the 50th anniversary last April 13 at the Manila Hotel.

Like any other organization which is governed by rules and whose membership are as civil and educated as they are, FAMAS towers above the rest.

Vote buying has never been a practice in FAMAS. In my years of association (this is my fifth term as its president) it has maintained its reputation as the most respected award-giving body in the archipelago.

For the record, FAMAS has 53 active members. It is composed of professionals coming from a cross section of society. To name a few, the academy has two doctors, three lawyers, dozens of respected writers, teachers, accountants, TV-radio personalities, and respected journalists like Rodolfo Salandanan (retired editor of Liwayway), Ninoy Sofranes (of Peoples Journal) and Marcelo Lagmay (of Balita, who once served as Press Undersecretary).

Thus, you have been fed with wrong information by your Funfare DPA with regards to the allegations. Certainly, the Academy is not and will never be for sale.

Thanks for the space you have afforded for this clarification.

Very truly yours,

 Charlie M. Arcega

President, Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS)

What’s up?

• Piolo Pascual will help promote the recent video release of his starrer I Think I’m in Love (Regal Films, with Joyce Jimenez as his leading lady) by going on an autograph-signing tour of the SM malls today. The schedule is as follows: At SM North EDSA – 1 to 1:30 p.m. at Odyssey, 1:30 to 2 p.m. at SM Record Bar, 2 to 2:30 p.m. at Video City and 2:30 to 3 p.m. at Astrovision; and at SM Megamall – 4 to 4:30 p.m. at Odyssey, 4:30 to 5 p.m. at SM Record Bar, 5 to 5:30 p.m. at Video City and 5:30 to 6 p.m. at Astrovision.

• Popular band favorites are brought to life once more by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Symphony Band this Sunday, July 21, at 5 p.m. in Concert at the Park, a weekly cultural program at Rizal Park, Manila, brought to the public for free by the National Parks Development Committee, under Executive Director Jaime Recio, and the National Broadcasting Network. Alternating at the baton are conductors Arnel Feliciano and Hermie Ranera. Featured soloists are bassoon player Severino Ramirez and violinist Merjohn Lagaya.

• Guaranteed high-quality ballet performances await park viewers and ballet enthusiasts tonight in Ballet at the Park, featuring Lisa Macuja’s Ballet Manila. The presentation starts at 7 p.m. right after the 6 p.m. anticipated Mass at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium, Manila.