Why Dionne''s fans remain solid

Had a Pinoy Big Brother book of records existed, Dionne Monsanto would have etched a place.

After all, PBB''s "Lovable Sweetheart" broke the record for having been nominated for eviction three times already and still managed to survive, thanks to fans who are seemingly increasing in number every nomination night. "We campaign and do text brigades, but most votes are really from her supporters," happily notes Dionne''s mom, Dulce Siroy.

As observed during past editions of the ABS-CBN primetime reality show, a housemate being nominated consecutively usually falls down on the second or third time. But in Dionne''s case, she managed to surpass her third nomination, running away with the biggest bulk of the total votes at 40%.

Given only a day or less to celebrate the victory, Dionne once again found herself as a candidate for eviction last Sunday night. And for the first time this season, it''s a one-on-one fight between her and the popular "Mr. Perfect" housemate, Nel Rapiz of Iloilo City.

Because of her consecutive nominations, Dionne felt devastated. The 12 votes against her seemed to underscore that her housemates want her out badly. The housemates justified their votes by saying that Dionne remains to be aloof and still doesn''t mingle with them.

But Carla Chua, 24, from Las Vegas, Nevada disagrees, "The housemates know that D is a major threat to their success and this is a game of chance. Survival of the fittest is the theme. Of course, these housemates want themselves to win and D is one strong factor that may hinder their way to success. So they try to eliminate the competition that she poses."

If the housemates want to drive her out of Big Brother''s house, her fans say they would be blocking the exit.

The FREEMAN Entertainment conducted e-mail interviews and scoured PBB forums to have a clearer picture of the lengths that Dionne''s fans went to show their support and their reasons for doing so. Buying vote cards, voting via text, writing appeals, defending Dionne and confronting the bashers are just few of the things that the fans have done to prove how supportive they are for this Cebuana bet.

Despite the consecutive nominations, Spain-based fan Ina J. Garcia, 23, would not tire of voting for her. "I would like to help Dionne reach her dreams, and through voting for her, little by little, she is a step higher into achieving it," expresses Ina, who votes online.

Likewise, 17-year-old Kyle Reymund Bleza Jarabelo of Davao doesn''t mind spending money for vote cards and text votes for Dionne. However, right now, he''ll have to settle for texting. "Medyo kapos na sa budget for vote cards, eh. (My budget is a bit tight for vote cards now)," he explains.

Carla has already pledged her support for Dionne all the way. What made her support Dionne is her sincerity. "Dionne is the underdog inside the house, and I always believe in the capability of underdogs if only given the chance to shine," she says.

Dionne''s survival through the past nominations is somehow reflective of how strong and united Dionne fans are. From a point-something lead over first evictee Zeke to the top 40% lead against Saicy and Wendy, the numbers seem to show how determined these fans are in making her stay.

After all, Ina believes "Dionne has the more heart and passion than any other housemate. An epitome of a young modern Filipina, Dionne is God-fearing, strong-willed and compassionate. She is a fighter. She may have flaws but she is brave enough to own up her mistakes, which makes her very human."

"What I really admire the most is yung pagiging tahimik lang nya (her being quiet) even though she knows her housemates are talking about her behind her back," Kyle remarks.

A 34-year-old fan from Metro Manila (who prefers to remain anonymous) thinks, "Dionne is smart by being herself. This is a quality rare in an individual. She has the ability of not conforming to a group that is after her neck, but sticking to her principles without any trace of hatred."

Furthermore, she wants Dionne to stay in the house because "She represents the cause of any Filipino, that in spite of difficulties, she can stand the test of times with a clean heart."

As for Ina, she would very much want Dionne to learn from her experiences inside the house and not give up. "If she stays, she will learn more about the attitudes and capabilities she never thought she had."

Even with this fourth nomination, her fans trust that Dionne has good chances of continuing her PBB stint. "She has our full support. Some fans of other housemates are even rooting for Dionne. And of course, Cebu is famous in terms of supporting their own kababayan," Kyle says.

"If we, the solid fans of Dionne, stay focus, united, and have the same kind of teamwork for the past eviction nights, I am confident D can survive. If we truly believe in her, nobody and nothing can sway our solid votes for D," Carla asserts.

Whatever the results of the Eviction Night will be, the fans will remain solid in backing their "Lovable Sweetheart."

"You cannot let a good person down. No matter how much they push Dionne down, she goes back to the surface with a positive attitude and without vengeance," an anonymous fan shouts out in a PBB forum.

She may have started out as a victim, but to her fans, Dionne will someday come out as the victor!

Dionne faces her fourth nomination. To save Dionne from being evicted from the PBB house this week, type BB DIONNE

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