‘Sunny’ stars choose friendship over love

MANILA, Philippines — “If you had to choose between love and friendship, what would you choose?”

That was the hypothetical question posed to the cast members of Viva Films’ latest offering “Sunny” in a recent presscon.

Heaven Peralejo, Bea Binene, and Abby Bautista weighed in and preferred friendship over love.

“I actually thought about it. All of my friends are girls, parang siguro ipapamigay ko na lang,” answered Heaven. “There’s plenty of choices out there, so it’s OK. I choose friendship first and my best friend’s happiness kesa unahin ko yung gusto ko.”

While Heaven is surrounded by friends who are mostly girls, Bea, on the other hand, is one of the boys.

“For me, it’s like a bro code. Like, for example, if your friend wants the guy, just support her. Bakit mo pa siya gugustuhin, yung someone, right?”

Abby shared the same opinion with the two, saying, “I will just give way to my friend because our friendship is more important.”

Fellow stars Aubrey Caraan and Ashley Diaz, meanwhile, said it depends on the situation if they will give way to their best friend when it comes to love. “If (my friend) said first na, ‘I like this guy,’ and I’m not the one who admitted (my feelings) first, I have to let it go.

“But if I’m the one who said it first and she would say, ‘I also like him,’ I’ll think about it. But I’m willing to give way for my friends.”

Ashley echoed, “It depends on who admitted first… But on a serious note, it also depends if I really like that person and at the same time, you have to respect the bro code or girl code. Because, of course, (as a) girl’s girl, you have to respect kung ano man yung meron sila. Kung meron nga sila, ‘wag na.”

“Sunny” is a remake of the 2011 Korean movie of the same title. The Philippine adaptation is helmed by Jalz Zarate, also behind the local version of “Spellbound” and written by Mel Mendoza-del Rosario (“Miracle in Cell No. 7” and “More Than Blue”).

It tells the story of former high school friends who come together to grant their friend’s dying wish. It is set in two periods. Playing the group of friends as adults are Vina Morales (as Annie), Angelu de Leon (as Chona), Candy Pangilinan as Dang, Tanya Garcia (as Janet), Katya Santos (as Becky), Sunshine Dizon (as Gwen) and Ana Roces (as Sue).

Their younger counterparts are Heaven (as Annie), Bea (as Chona), Abby (as Dang), Ashley (as Janet), Heart Ryan (as Becky); Ashtine Olviga (as Gwen), and Aubrey (as Sue).