Actors Guild of the Philippines head appeals to celebrities using drugs to surrender

MANILA, Philippines – Actors Guild of the Philippines president Rez Cortez appealed to members of the entertainment industry using illegal drugs to surrender to the police, after two celebrities were arrested this week.

In an interview on Umagang Kay Ganda on Wednesday, October 5, Cortez said that the group was saddened by arrests of personalities such as Krista Miller and Mark Anthony Fernandez, who were apprehended by the police for possession of illegal drugs such as shabu and marijuana. (READ; Mark Anthony Fernandez denies owning kilo of marijuana found in car)

Cortez said that he has appealed for the personalities involved in drugs not to be named. 

“Pati ako, bilang pangulo ng Actors Guild, ay nakiusap rin ako na sumuko na at nakikiusap din ako na huwag na sanang pangalanan at huwag ng ilabas ang listahan dahil ito ay mga user lamang. At kung sure na ito ay drug lord o pusher ay okay lang ‘yon. Pero sa amin nga sa Actors Guild ay hindi kami titigil sa ganoon. Ang mga users naman ay biktima. At kung kailangan ay tulungan at kung kailangan ay i-rehab ay tutulungan namin ang aming kasamahan sa industriya,” Cortez said. 

(As president of Actors Guild, I’m appealing to them (artists using drugs) to surrender and I’m also asking them not to name and not release the list because they are just users. If they [the police] are sure that they are drug lords or pushers, that’s okay. But for us in the Actors Guild, we will not stop there. The users are victims. If they need help and need to undergo rehab, we will help our friends in the industry.)

“Pakiusapan na lang lalo na dito sa mga kabataan. Meron din naman akong nakausap na ibang mga bagets na tigilan na at sumerender na. At kung kailangan ng rehabilitation, eh magtutulungan na lang tayo,” he said.

(We’re appealing, especially to the young ones. I’ve even talked some young people to stop using [drugs] and just surrender. And if they need help in rehabilitation, we will all help each other.)

Cortez then appealed once again to his co-actors in the industry to stop using drugs.

“Nananawagan ako sa mga artista – at hindi lamang sa artista kung hindi sa lahat ng manggagawa ng pelikula at telebisyon, na mag-surrender na tayo bago humantong sa pagkahuli o, sa kasamaang palad, ay nagiging dahilan pa ng mitsa ng kanilang buhay dahil sa hindi sila sumurrender.

(I’m calling to all artists – not just artists but also workers in the movie and television industry, to surrender before it comes to being arrested or unfortunately, becomes the reason for the loss of life because they did not surrender.)  

“Binibigyan naman tayo ng pagkakataon ng pamahalaang ito, tawagan lang ako. Pwede din naman tayong dumiretso sa pulis o sa kapwa natin artista ay pwedeng lumapit at tayo na ang gagawa ng paraan para matahimik na susurender at kung kailangan ng rehab kami ay tutulong din sa Actors Guild,” Cortez said.

(This govenment is giving us the chance, call me. We can just go straight to the police or we can approach and we can be the one to find a way to surrender quietly, and if they need to undergo rehab, the Actors Guild is willing to help.)

Aside from Miller and Fernandez, former sexy actress Sabrina M was arrested in an anti-drug operation last September 25. In August, Radio DJ Karen Bordador and her boyfriend Emilio Lim were arrested by the police in a drug buy-bust operation in Pasig. – Rappler.com