FILM director Vince Tañada is weighing in on the issue raised by Divine Diva Zsa Zsa Padilla on the alleged “disrespect” and “insincerity” on the part of the Aliw Awards Foundation which conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award on her and several other artists.
Padilla on Tuesday, Dec. 16, took to social media to announce that she is returning her Lifetime Achievement trophy, saying that instead of feeling honored, she was made to feel small. She claimed that after receiving the award, she was not even allowed to speak to thank her family and those who helped her in her music career.
On the same day, Aliw Awards, through its founder and president Alice Reyes, said sorry to Padilla for her “upsetting” experience at the awards show. Reyes said that since the past year, they have been trying to shorten the awards show, and thought that giving the honorees time onstage was sufficient.
Tañada, who previously helmed the staging of the annual Aliw Awards dinner show for three years, countered the claim that there was an ongoing protocol to not allow Lifetime awardees a speech during the awards night.
“Nope. I directed Aliw for a couple of years before. I don’t remember being informed of that rule. We always have acceptance speeches for Lifetime Awardees,” Tañada replied to film producer Girlie Rodis in a Facebook comment thread after the latter said that, according to Aliw Awards officials, it had long been the norm that Lifetime Achievement awardees receive their honors without delivering speeches.
Rodis is managing several artists, including Rachel Alejandro, who was among the winners as Best Female Artist Based Abroad.
Tañada also replied with an old clip from the Aliw Awards that shows past Lifetime Achievement awardees Jose Mari Chan and Imelda Papin delivering their acceptance speeches.
In a separate post, Tañada criticized the handling of awardees at this year’s ceremony and questioned who directed the event.
“Who directed the Aliw Awards this year? Zsa Zsa Padilla and the other pillars of the Philippine Entertainment Industry who were awardees last night should be given the utmost respect they truly deserve,” he wrote. “What a disgrace!”
Tañada’s comments also referenced the 2024 FAMAS Awards controversy involving veteran actress Eva Darren, who was invited to the ceremony as one of the presenters only to be removed last minute from the lineup.
At that time, Tañada served as director of the 72nd FAMAS awards night and as one of the presenters at the ceremony, he came under fire following the awarding body’s treatment towards Darren.
In his recent post, Tañada described the Aliw Awards incident as “karma” for those who had earlier attacked him over the FAMAS issue. (Jessica Ann Evangelista)
