Addressing cheating allegations that have been flung at her, Francine Diaz recently denied that she stole Seth Fedelin from Andrea Brillantes.

Diaz's denial came via a short video on Tiktok where she explained that she had nothing to do with Brillantes and Fedelin's breakup.

"Wala akong inahas. Wala akong nilandi. Wala akong inagaw. Kung ano man 'yung naging problema ni Blythe (Brillantes) at ni Seth noon, sa kanila 'yon, labas ako doon. At kung ano man ang problema nila ngayon, labas ako doon. Huwag niyo na akong idamay. Huwag niyo na i-drag ang name ko because na-bash ako sa kung anumang problema meron sila ngayon at 'yung problema nila noon (I did not steal anyone. I did not flirt. I did not steal. Whatever problem between Blythe and Seth before, it was between them, I was out of it. And whatever their problem today is, I'm out of it, too. Don't drag me into it. Don't drag my name because I've been bashed about the problem they have between them)," she said.  

Diaz revealed that Fedelin came to her house to apologize and that Brillantes knew she had not done anything against her.

"Pumunta si Seth para humingi ng tawad. He invited Blythe, but hindi siya sumama (she didn't come), and the next thing I know, ako na 'yung pinagpiyestahan sa (I was the one being feasted on in) social media. Alam niya na hihingi ng sorry si Seth, and yet, ganoon ang ginawa niya (She knew that Seth was going to apologize, yet that's what she did)."

Still, Diaz said Fedelin and Brillantes did not hear anything from her, thinking things would calm down.

"Pero the more na nanahimik ako parang mas lalo lang lumalala 'yung nangyayari (The more I kept quiet, the more the issue got worse)," she explained.

In the end, Diaz cautioned people against likewise bashing Brillantes.

"She's receiving so much hate… Iwanan na natin (Let's forget the issue), she said.

Piolo x 3 in 'Mallari'

If there's one thing clear after watching Mallari, it is that Piolo Pascual nailed his three complex characters — as Fr. Severino, as doctor Jonathan and as documentarist John Rey. 

Adding to the challenge is that characters inhabited different timelines — the 1840s, 1940s and the present time.

As a killing priest and the first documented serial killer in the country, Pascual is menacingly good. As the doctor-boyfriend to Janella Salvador's character, he showed compassion as he tries to save his GF from potential death.  And as documentarist John Rey, Pascual displayed with dogged passion a guy who wants to know the truth. 

In all three portrayals, Pascual gave a nuanced performance, displaying with ample ability his acting prowess.

Also a standout in the MMFF film is JC Santos who played Lucas, Jonathan's long-time friend who wants to discover the truth about the murder of some people in their town.

Directed by Derick Cabrido and produced by  Mentorque Productions with Cleverminds Inc. from the script of Enrico Santos, Mallari is distributed by Warner Bros.

Cedrick Juan shines in 'GomBurZa'

As Fr. Jose Burgos, the secular priest who was executed with Jacinto Zamora (Enchong Dee) and Mariano Gomez (Dante Rivero) by Spanish authorities in 1872, Cedrick Juan gave a sterling performance that was much-applauded during the premiere night.

Juan's truthful attack to his character was what made his performance shine. His character's compassion seeped through every pore, and his nuances were made even clearer by his crisp line delivery.

In preparation for his character, Juan said he did research on material by historians Ambeth Ocampo, Xiao Chua, Fr. Rene Javellana and Fr. John Schumacher.

At the red-carpet premiere the film's cast, crew and guests raved about the film. Celebrities, fans, industry insiders, film enthusiasts, historians and church leaders were all captivated by the film's powerful storytelling and standout portrayals.

Produced by JesCom Films and MQuest Ventures of MediaQuest in cooperation with CMB Film Services, Gomburza is definitely festival-worthy and worth everyone's penny. We wouldn't be surprised if it amasses major awards at the MMFF awards night.