Sharon feels betrayed plus: 50 years of Regal Films; a box-office winner in "Hating Kapatid"

Megastar Sharon Cuneta didn’t hide her resentment over the news that the people whom she thought would support her husband Kiko Pangilinan’s bid for the Senate presidency had “betrayed” him.

Sharon didn’t mention names but it was obvious that she was referring to Senators Tito Sotto, Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada, all her colleagues in the entertainment industry. The three were reportedly among the senators who switched preferences and are now favoring the current Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Sharon was particularly disappointed at her Uncle Tito, for whom she had campaigned when he ran for senator last May.

Senator Tito explained that his decision not to back Kiko transcended family ties. “The Senate should remain independent and should not be pressured even with family concerns. I hope that in due time she would

understand my decision. Whatever my decision will be will not change my feelings towards her,” he said.

Senator Bong said he too was concerned about Sharon’s reaction, but said he had not yet cast his vote, a hint that he might still change his mind. “It’s unfair because we’re yet to vote on July 26. You’ll know my choice by then,” he said.

Jinggoy, the Senate President Pro Tempore, also felt that an explanation was in order. While it was true that he signed a resolution supporting Kiko, it was on the condition that Enrile would not run again as Senate President.

Politics and showbiz are indeed strange bedfellows.

* * *

Hating Kapatid, starring Judy Ann Santos and Sarah Geronimo, grossed P10 million on its first day last week. I’m not surprised. Viva Films has a big winner in the film. Juday and Sarah hit it off splendidly as sisters who had to make ends meet and look after each other while their parents worked in Libya. After Sarah almost died in an explosion that tore apart their pyrotechnics store, Juday promised to herself to devote all her life caring for her sis. That meant dumping her boyfriend (JC de Vera) and watching over Sarah like a hawk.

Things began to get complicated when the sisters’ parents arrived home to stay for good. Juday felt her role as Sarah’s surrogate mom was being threatened. Sarah was also beginning to discover boys, falling for Luis Manzano, a sales rep for a land developer.

Juday was on the way to becoming a grouchy matron so Sarah and the rest of the family conspired to bring back her former love interest. She hunted down JC who was still single after all those years and still pining for Juday.

Reuniting the sweethearts helped ease the tension in the household. But there were still some issues to be resolved. And then there’s this firecracker explosion…

After a string of not-so-funny comedy films, Director Wenn Deramas redeems himself with Hating Kapatid. The story holds its course, and Juday and Sarah deliver plausible performances.

* * *

It’s hard to imagine that Regal Films has been producing movies for the past 50 years. Few movie outfits last that long. During those five decades Regal has churned out nearly 1,200 films and has helped nurture the talent of such illustrious stars as Action King Fernando Poe Jr., the comic triumvirate of Tito, Vic and Joey, the Star For All Seasons Vilma Santos, Megastar Sharon Cuneta and the Queen of All Media Kris Aquino.

Mother Lily Monteverde has been the moving force behind Regal, which started out as the distributor of the Hollywood classic, All Mine to Give.

To this day Mother Lily remains an avid movie fan. “I will never get tired producing movies,” she said recently. “That is my passion. Many producers have given up, but I have to carry on, despite rising production costs, because I want to entertain the viewers.”

She finds fulfillment in the success of her Regal babies— from Gabby Concepcion, Richard Gomez, Maricel Soriano, Ruffa Gutierrez and Carmina Villaroel, Gretchen Barretto, Dina Bonnevie, Aiko Melendez to Marian Rivera, Dennis Trillo, Carla Abellana, Andi Eigenmann, and Richard Gutierrez.

“Regal wouldn’t have made it this far without the stars and the entertainment press,” Mother Lily said.