Ringing phone saved Wally from ‘ending it all’

The gun was cocked, ready to be fired. And just when he was about to pull the trigger, determined “to end it all,” the phone rang. It brought him back to his senses.

Finally talking about the sex video (with an EB dancer) that drove him to desperation after it went viral in September last year, Wally Bayola said that he was thankful that he didn’t correct a wrong by committing another wrong.

“Gulung-gulo ang isip ko noon,” said Wally on Startalk last Sunday, his first public admission of committing something that almost destroyed not only his life but those of his wife, nurse Riza Buen Bayola, and their five children, one of whom is bravely waging a battle against a rare type of leukemia. “I was sitting in front of the computer (showing the video) and pointing the gun at it. Tapos, sa akin ko ipuputok. I told myself, ‘Bahala na lang.’ ‘Yon lang ang naisip ko at that time.”

That was a few days after he confirmed that the video had gone viral, first in cell phones and then on social media. Wally recalled that that night, way past midnight, he called his NBI friend. No reply. He must be fast asleep already. But in the nick of time, the NBI man called, confirming Wally’s worst fear (the video that had gone viral).

As soon as I hung up the phone, added Wally, he saw the name of Jose Manalo, his Eat, Bulaga! co-host (for the Juan For All, All For Juan segment, with Paolo Ballesteros). He called Jose but the phone just kept ringing, so he texted him, “Kausapin mo ako, si Wally ito!” After a while, Jose called. After Wally poured his heart out to him, Jose began scolding him, “parang tatay na pinagagalitan ang anak,” and told him to rush to St. Luke’s Medical Center where Wally’s daughter was having chemotherapy.

“That was what woke me up,” said Wally.

At the hospital, he told his wife and children about the video. Wally’s sick daughter said almost half-joking, “Papa, sira ulo ka talaga. Wala akong magagawa, mahal kita, eh. Tatay kita, eh.” Then, after washing their hands with alcohol, they held hands and prayed in tears.

No, clarified Wally. “I wasn’t kicked out of Eat, Bulaga!; I volunteered to go on leave.” Indefinitely.

“He lost weight,” Bulaga main host Joey de Leon said. “Humaba ang mukha niya.”

He locked himself in his room and refused to talk to anybody. There were reports of Wally “sightings,” describing him as going around with head bowed, disguised with a wig.

“Actually,” revealed Wally, “I decided to stay with my mom in Bicol. (Wally grew up with priests in Naga City). “People who I have helped visited me and tried to comfort me.” Back in Manila, Wally passed his time by preparing meals for his sick daughter whose medicines were draining the family savings (one vial alone cost P66,000). His daughter volunteered to quit school to contribute to the medical expenses.

Throughout Wally’s ordeal, his family never blamed him; they stood by him.

His wife Riza didn’t abandon him. She told Startalk that she learned about Wally’s affair with the EB dancer back in 2011, and she even met the girl and reminded her that Wally is a family man. “Pinayuhan ko siya na humanap ng lalaking walang sabit,” said Riza. “Kaming pamilya, talagang sama-sama kami sa hirap at ginhawa. Walang sumbatan.”

It is said that the sex video was about four years old. The computer was ruined and Wally, or the girl, thought that they had deleted all its contents before having it fixed. It turned out that some contents remained, including the controversial video.

“Biktima din siya katulad ko,” admitted Wally, referring to the girl.

Wally started his comeback by appearing at Zirkoh, the comedy bar owned and managed by Wally’s Bulaga co-host Allan K. Partnering again with Jose, Wally stays quiet when Jose cracks green jokes. One time, Jose teased Wally by singing a song…Sana Maulit Muli. Of course, Wally said no.

He’s also back in Bulaga (although I don’t think he could, or should, resume doing his bading act because he wouldn’t be credible after that incident).

“I already apologized to Sir Tony (Tuviera of TAPE Inc., Bulaga producer), Ma’am Malou (Choa-Fagar, Bulaga executive), my co-hosts (Joey, Vic Sotto, Sen. Tito Sotto, Pia Guanio, Isabelle Daza, Ryan Agoncillo, Ruby Rodriguez, Jimmy Santos, Pauleen Luna and Julia Clarete), everybody! They accepted my apology. Sobrang love nila ako.”

Oh well, love means never having to say you’re sorry, correct?

Pinoy indie filmmakers winners at int’l filmfests

Mikhail Red’s debut feature length film, Rekorder, won the Prix Spécial du Jury (Special Jury Prize) at the 31st Annonay International Film Festival in France on Feb. 17. It tied with Jean Denizot’s La Belle Vie from the host country. Rekorder also won the Prix de la meilleure musique de film (Best Film Music Prize). Red was granted 1,200 euros and musical scorer Pepe Manikan received 500 euros as cash prizes. Red, at 21 the youngest competitor in the said filmfest, is the son of indie director Raymond Red, the first Filipino to have won a Palme d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his short film Anino in 2000.

Also in France, Quick Change, megged by Eduardo Roy Jr., won the Critic Jury Prize at the 20th FICA-Vesoul International Film Festival for AsianCinema (Festival international des cinémas d’Asie de Vesoul) on Feb. 18. The jury said that despite of the film’s difficult topic, Roy Jr. succeeded in presenting and taking consciousness about the harsh life of a certain community of the Filipino population. On the same night, director Brillante Mendoza was bestowed the coveted Golden Cyclo of Honor Award for his acclaimed body of work. His award-winning Foster Child (2007) was the closing film in the event. Along with other awarded films from South Korea, Turkey, India, Cambodia, China, Japan and Vietnam, Quick Change will be screened at Guimet Museum of Asian Arts, Paris, April 5 to 7 and at INALCO Auditorium in October. 

In last year’s New Breed Section of the 9th Cinemalaya Film Festival, Rekorder won Best Production Designer (Roy Red) while Quick Change won Special Jury Prize, Best Performance of An Actor (Mimi Juarez), Best Screenplay (Eduardo Roy Jr.) and Best Sound (Michael Idioma). Rekorder competed in the 26th Tokyo Film Festival, Oct. 17 to 25, 2013 in Japan; and Quick Change was screened in the Panorama Section of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival last Feb. 6 to 16 in Germany.

— Reported by Celso de Guzman Caparas