A Pinoy actor is busy going around London’s iconic spots showing off her hula hoop skills. Another actor just cut her hair boys’ bob-short even as the FAMAS Awards night’s production and people now confess that actor Eva Darren was definitely dropped from the list of presenters two days before the event on Sunday, 26 May. They actually did not even bother to look for her, and the production staff did not bother to let the awards night director, Vince Tañada, know of her presence.

And, oh, Best Actor winner Alfred Vargas said Tuesday morning, 30 May, that he was not aware that some bashing netizens claim he was supposed to be the only winner in that category but the FAMAS voting members were “influenced” to make Piolo Pascual a co-winner.

“Piolo’s acting ability is beyond doubting now and I am very much honored to win Best Actor with him,” declared Vargas to a group of showbiz journos who called on him in his private office as Quezon City councilor.

Meanwhile those production people who have “confessed” about not bothering to look for Eva Darren at the awards night are Tañada’s staff in Philippine Stagers Foundation (PSF), which he himself founded but is now headed by PSF actor Johnrey Rivas.

Rivas puts the blame on FAMAS public relations man Renz Spangler for the removal of Darren as one of the night’s presenters.

“Ikaw lang ang nag-iisang may kasalanan (You are the sole person at fault)!” Rivas accused Spangler on Monday night (29 May) in a seven-page posting on Facebook to clear Tañada and PSF’s name in the FAMAS fiasco.

Rivas bared that it was Spangler who requested the inclusion of Darren as a presenter since Spangler invited her to be a presenter after he managed to convince her to buy four dinner tickets for the awards rites at P5,000 per plate.

Writing largely in very informal Filipino, Rivas “confessed” that Darren was listed as early as 17 May and it is true that she was sent her spiel as presenter with actor Tirso Cruz III, as claimed by her son, Fernando de la Peña, to prove that the FAMAS invited his mom to be a presenter. It was De la Peña who raised furor on his FB account about his mom not made to present after she bought tickets, bought new dress and shoes to attend the awards night.

The awards’ pre-production tasks required a series of Group Chat (digital) meetings with FAMAS officials during which updating of confirmation and cancellation of presenters were done.

Rivas explained that it was the FAMAS people’s sole prerogative to invite presenters and all that Tañada and the production staff required of the members is to keep re-confirming the names of those who can make it and those who cannot.

The deadline was on Friday, 24 May. Rivas was also in charge of maintaining the FAMAS social media network for the awards night.

Lengthily recalled Rivas: “Nung mga unang meeting ng chat group, sumasali pa si Renz as PR and as inviter of Ma’am Eva, kaya kasali pa si Ma’am Eva sa mga unang script. Pero biglang tumigil ang FAMAS PR sa pagsali at dahil wala nang nagko-confirm kung darating si Ma’am Eva o hindi, tinanggal na namin siya finally nung Biyernes, May 24. May secretary si Renz na sumali sa group chat at nung tinanong namin yung secretary kung nag-confirm na si Ma’am Eva, walang maisagot yung secretaries. We posted yung list at about 7:45 p.m. at definitely ay wala na si Ma’am Eva sa list (During the first meeting of our chat group, Renz was included as PR and invited Ma’am Eva in the first script. But the FAMAS PR suddenly stopped joining the chat and because no one was confirming if Ma’am Eva was attending, we finally removed her from the list on Friday, 24 May. Renz had a secretary who joined the chat and when we asked the secretary of Ma’am Eva was attending, she could not give us an answer. We posted the list at about 7:45 p.m. and definitely she was no longer in that list).”

“Pero hindi lang naman siya ang inalis namin sa listahan. May iba pa, dahil sinabi nung inviters na di makakarating yung artista. Ang mga tinanggal ay sina Gloria Diaz, Alfred Vargas, at LA Santos. On the awards night itself, tinanggal din namin sina Ken Chan at Glaiza de Castro dahil hindi pala sila ipinagpaalam bilang presenters kundi para uma-attend lang ng awards night. Last minute ay nag-try and road managers nila na ipagpaalam sila sa GMA 7 management para maging presenters, at nag-No raw ang management (But she is not the only one we removed from the list of inviters. We removed Gloria Diaz, Alfred Vargas and LA Santos. On the awards night itself, we removed Ken Chan and Glaiza de Castro).”