MANILA, Philippines — Veteran actress Pilar Pilapil cautions President Rodrigo Duterte on whom to trust and to be careful with his words.
The seasoned actress plays as mother to Gabby Concepcion's fictional Philippine president character in the currently airing nightly GMA-7 drama "First Yaya."
"The advice that I can give him is to probably be more careful in addressing the public, knowing that we are a people of different ages and different ways of thinking. So I would probably constantly advice him to be more careful in addressing the public," she told the media, including Philstar.com, in a recent online press conference.
Pilar was asked a rhetorical question by the press during the show's recent virtual presscon: "If she were Duterte's mother, what advice would she give him?"
The seasoned actress plays Blesilda Acosta, mother of Glenn Acosta, played by Concepcion.
"At the same time, be very aware of the people around him. To make sure that the people around him are the people whom he can really trust and with whom the country can trust," she continued.
Her advice is similar to the advice given to Glenn by President Diane Carlos (Boots Anson-Rodrigo) in the series.
"Politics makes strange bedfellows. In politics, there are no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. People with personal interests and hidden agenda. Kaya alam mo piling-pili ang mga taong pinagkakatiwalaan ko kasi marami diyan parang maamong tupa pero 'pag trinaydor ka, sasaksakin ka kapag nakatalikod ka," President Carlos advised Vice-President Acosta on the March 25 episode of the show. Glenn was sworn in as the president after her death.
The line is inspired by a line from William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" that goes, "Misery acquiants a man with strange bedfellows."
"First Yaya" follows the love and life story of Melody Reyes, played by Sanya Lopez, who is hired by Glenn to be his children's nanny. Apart from their budding romance, the show also tackles politics, its dynamics, and its many complex relationships.
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