Beware of fake Susan Roces website

Did you know that there’s a "website scam" using the name of Susan Roces?

If not, listen to Alex Socorro, technical consultant of the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), who sent an abridged version of an article (author not identified) sent to him by director Boots Plata "to forewarn" the public. Here it is:

The website www.susanroces.com is a clear attempt to use the name of Susan Roces and exploit her popularity for whatever purposes and intents of the website owner. But the motive is getting clearer – a solicitation for funds by the scamming website.

Baby K. Jimenez, a former showbiz writer and close friend of Susan, was fuming mad in her e-mail, "grabe itong fake na site na ito – kelangan sagutin. Go there to the site and check." Although residing in the US, Baby K wouldn’t take the situation sitting down because, considering the lousy design and dire lack of contents, it was a downright insult to her bosom friend. At once, Baby K relayed her dismay to Boots Plata, a film director and husband of Dolor Guevarra who happens to be Susan’s manager.

Bing Manalo, a loyalist of Susan Roces, had nearly gone amok in his e-mail, "people might think that susanroces.com is also mine because many people know that I did websites for Susan; since I’m closely identified with Susan, even people that I don’t know associate me with her. Anyway, I want to clear my name as far as that website scam is concerned. I’ll try to find out the name of the moderator of that website."

Manalo is the administrator of, not one but, two websites namely: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Susan_Roces and http://susanroces.friendpages.com/ which have links in the Film Academy’s website. Although not actually official websites of Susan Roces, these two websites are authorized by people very close to Susan.

As they say in the old Western movies, there ought to be a law! The Internet is a new playing field with an undetermined scope such that legal geniuses are having a hard time in coping with previously unimaginable lawsuits. For some positive developments, Kevin Spacey, an Oscar-winning actor, had gained ownership of www.kevinspacey.com from Jeffrey Burgar, the original registrant. But Kevin had spent a lot of time and money since the case was filed in Canada, where Burgar lives.

Legalese aside, using a person’s name, in any undertaking, without explicit permission exudes an immoral scent, much more if the person is a known celebrity who is regarded as public property. In our country, there are no known laws except the IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) which is still considered young and needs to go through a lot of test cases. But as with name infringement, we only have protection for trade names.

May everyone be forewarned that www.susanroces.com is not an official website and not authorized by Susan Roces. Fans of Susan can visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Susan_Roces or http://susanroces.friendpages.com/ for more information.

Meanwhile, as we’ve read in the papers lately, Susan is all-out in her support for the senatorial bid of Sorsogon Rep. Chiz Escudero whom she accompanied first to hear Mass at the Manila Cathedral and then to file his certificate of candidacy at the nearby COMELEC office.

"I trust Chiz will be a senator we could all be proud of," Susan was quoted as saying. "We have a good relationship as ‘ninang’ and ‘inaanak.’ His track record in Congress is deserving of everyone’s support."

Yes, Susan, I agree with you.

Fil-Am singer-actress at Carnegie Hall

Here’s another interesting report from Funfare’s New York correspondent Edmund Silvestre, new editor of the NY-based The Filipino Reporter:

Carnegie Hall, America’s premier concert hall, presented Fil-Am singer-actress Joan Almedilla and Grammy-winning rock legend David Byrne in a sold-out disco opera about the life and times of the former Philippine first lady and the servant who raised her.

Here Lies Love was staged Saturday night (Feb. 3) at 8 p.m. at Carnegie Hall’s main theater, the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, with nearly 3,000 music patrons and enthusiasts attending.

Through a series of songs written by Byrne, with musical contributions from Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook), Here Lies Love presented Imelda Marcos meditating on events in her life, from her childhood spent in poverty and her rise to power to her ultimate departure from the presidential palace. In particular, the production looked at the relationship between Imelda and a servant from her childhood, Estrella Cumpas, who appeared at key moments in Imelda’s life.

Almedilla, the only Filipino in the cast, provided the vocals for Mrs. Marcos, with Byrne for Ferdinand Marcos and Ninoy Aquino. Byrne, who also has an Oscar and a Golden Globe, is best known as a founding member and the principal songwriter of the New Wave band Talking Heads.

Also in the cast were Ganda Suthivarakom, who plays Estrella, the servant; Mauro Refosco (percussion), Graham Hawthorne (drums), Paul Frazier (bass) and Thomas Bartlett (keyboards).

"This is not an impersonation of Imelda Marcos," said the Cebu City-born Almedilla, who was the fourth Fil-Am to play in Miss Saigon on Broadway, and was last seen as Fantine on the US Broadway tour of Les Miserables and Jesus Christ Superstar. "We’re not judging her or making fun of her. There’s not even a mention of her shoes or a parade of Imelda gowns and jewelry. We want to deal with her struggle and her relationship with Estrella through music. Anyone can judge all the things that Imelda has done. And I mean, judge her in many different ways. But instead of judging her, David Byrne’s writing led us to focus on Mrs. Marcos’ want, need and desire, and understanding the character deeper."

"The title of the concert is based on the tomb inscription Mrs. Marcos wants when she dies," Almedilla added, "that she doesn’t want anything written on her tombstone but only ’Here Lies Love.’ Towards the end, I got chills because it took me back to where I’m from, our beloved Philippines. I really miss home."

And why Imelda Marcos? Byrne explained: "I was originally interested in other powerful people, but she happened to be a formerly powerful person who connected herself with a particular type of contemporary music – she used to go to discos a lot. So I thought, ‘Wow, that’s kind of fortuitous’."

On Feb. 8 to 18, Almedilla and her Fil-Am hubby, film director Charles Uy, will be in Europe for the Berlin International Film Festival where Uy’s film about 9/11, Yasin, is an official entry in the short film category.

Uy, who is finishing his masters in film production at the University of Southern California, produced Yasin, with Betty Lee Kim as the director. Uy is known for his much-awarded film thesis Waiting in the Wings which was honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and the Directors Guild of America.

In April, Almedilla will direct a lavish benefit show, Once Upon A Time, in Los Angeles, proceeds of which will go to an orphanage in Rwanda. The concert, featuring the 30-piece La Sierra Symphonic Orchestra and timeless movie theme songs, will be held at Disneyland Marina Ballroom on April 28.

* * *

E-mail reactions at [email protected]