DIRECTOR Mike de Leon caught the collective ire of netizens for his rant against the recently-concluded ABS-CBN Ball.
“Many people will not like this question but I have to ask it – in these dark times of murder and hunger, who really needs the ABS-CBN Ball? Bread and Circuses again a la Imelda Marcos.”
That was Mike’s insensitive and highly irrational aria which we felt reeks of misplaced idealism.
For one, the ball was for a good cause at it is for the benefit of Bantay Bata 163’s newly re-launched Children’s Village in Norzagaray, Bulacan na pinangunahan nga ni Vice Ganda.
Two, there’s nothing wrong in mounting a ball because no amount of public’s money was involved. The stars who attended were not some corrupt public officials who steal by the millions or the billions.
And there was no shade or extravagance a la Imelda in the ball. No wine worth half a million pesos and no food worth tens of thousands were served.
The party was just a gathering of Kapamilya stars who worked very hard to have an inch of space in the celluloid world. We’re not surprised Mike was bashed in one popular website. He had it coming.
“Ang silipin nyo eh ung pera sa gobyerno na nilulustay lang ng politikong mga buwaya. Eto ay ginawa para makatulong sa bata,” wailed one guy.
Next time, Mike, don’t harp on something that’s missing in your life. Just enjoy life and don’t be the killjoy that you always are.