MANILA, Philippines – Fernando de la Pena, son of veteran Filipino actress Eva Darren, aired his frustration against the organizers of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) 2024 awarding ceremony after his mother never went up on stage despite being invited to be one of the ceremony’s presenters. 

In a Facebook post on Monday, May 27, De la Pena shared a photo of Darren from the awarding ceremony, which was held on Sunday, May 26, at the Manila Hotel. 

De la Pena narrated that his mother received a notice of invitation for the FAMAS award night “a couple of months ago,” wherein she was told that she would be a presenter alongside veteran actor Tirso Cruz III. 

He shared that the actress was excited for the event as her last FAMAS awards night attendance was in 1969 when she took home the Best Supporting Actress trophy for her role in the film Ang Pulubi. 

De la Pena continued that his mother memorized and rehearsed her given script, bought a new dress and pair of heels, availed a hair and make-up package, and brought three grandkids to the event despite the Signal No. 1 typhoon warning. He also noted that each seating plate for the ceremony cost P5,000.  

Despite all her preparation, De la Pena said his mother never went up on the stage that evening.

“During the point where she was supposed to present an award, her partner, Mr. Tirso Cruz III went upstage with an upcoming young singer instead. Not my mom,” he wrote. 

De la Pena said that the PR officer of FAMAS who had been in constant communication with the veteran actress prior to the event only apologized for the last-minute changes, but did not explain what caused the mishap. 

“You would think and assume that a ‘prestigious award-giving body’ who had been doing the same thing every year, over and over without fail, would have mastered their craft after 72 years. But no, not this entity,” he lamented, adding that this incident is “rude, disrespectful, unethical, and unprofessional.” 

“How many times have you callously and insensitively done this in the past without remorse or consideration for emotional consequences? How many times have you stepped on an artist’s dignity?” he said. 

On Monday afternoon, FAMAS released a statement apologizing to Darren. 

“The production team was not able to locate Ms. Darren,” it said.  “This was indeed a setback in the live show and a negligence on the part of the team.” 

The organizers stressed that having a last-minute replacement for Darren was “not intentional and purely a misjudgment.” 

Aside from the public apology, it added that it was committed to make amends with the actress as the FAMAS Board iwasnterested in paying her a personal visit. 

However, in the poster uploaded by FAMAS on Sunday, Darren wasn’t included in its list of presenters. 

Darren is best known for her appearance in films Ang Langit sa Lupa, Brides of Blood, and television shows Mula sa Puso, Munting Anghel, and May Bukas Pa.

Meanwhile, the 2024 FAMAS winners include Kathryn Bernardo, Piolo Pascual, and horror film Mallari. – Rappler.com