GMA, FPJ shake hands at film fest

Potential protagonists in a projected hotly contested presidential showdown in 2004 warmly shook hands yesterday in a star-studded awarding ceremonies at Malacañang for qualifiers in the forthcoming Metro Manila Film Festival Philippines (MMFFP) 2002.

President Arroyo gamely posed for photographers with the country’s leading actors, notably local cinema legends Fernando Poe Jr. and comedian-for-all seasons Dolphy.

Poe, acknowledged "King of Philippine Movies," has been touted as Mrs. Arroyo’s archrival in the next presidential elections, thanks to the prodding of his kumpadre and friend of long standing–jailed former President Joseph Estrada, himself a movie great before becoming a full-fledged politician.

Other movie stars who attended the Palace rites were Rudy Fernandez who ran and lost the Quezon City mayoralty race to former Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. in the May 2001 polls, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. who also failed in his re-election bid for the gubernatorial post in Cavite, and incumbent Caloocan City Mayor Rey Malonzo.

Mrs. Arroyo did not deliver any remarks, but handed out trophies and checks for P100,000 to each of the 10 winning scripts submitted by the movie outfits that qualified to join the MMFFP slated in December this year.

Among the qualifiers was Poe’s FPJ Productions with its entry "Alamat ng Lawin" which hews closely to his blockbuster fantasy movie series "Ang Panday."

As she handed the plaque and check to Poe, the President said; "Mabuti naman at sumali ka (It’s good that you joined)."

"Ma’am, all the time for the Philippine movie industry," he replied.

Poe begged off from an interview with reporters, and tried to sneak out of the Ceremonial Hall, but got lost along the way. A Palace aide came to his rescue and showed him the door.

Before the awards rites, Poe told reporters that he was happy the President made good her promise to help the ailing movie industry by appointing Revilla as chairman of the Videogram Regulatory Board.

After taking his post, Revilla immediately launched a vigorous campaign against pirated compact discs and tapes which have been wreaking havoc on the local film and music industries.

"I would like to thank the President for helping our industry. Malaking tulong ’yan lalo na at naumpisahan na rito sa Manila Film Festival. Sana tuloy-tuloy na (It’s a big help especially now that it has been started with the Manila Film Festival. I hope it can be sustained)," Poe said.

He laughed off reports that he has been taking public speaking lessons in connection with his presidential plans.

"I never knew that," he said, but admitted he had read about it in the newspapers.

Filipino-Italian actress Assunta de Rossi, who was escorted by her fiancé, Negros Occidental Rep. Julio Ledesma, accepted the plaque and check for her movie "Mano Po."

Dolphy’s movie "Home Along the Riber" was also a qualifier in the film festival.

Mrs. Arroyo’s actor-politician son, Pampanga Vice Gov. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo, did not make it to the MMFFP.