The Philippine Online Chronicles

“Ayoko na! (I don’t want this anymore!)"  Gretchen Barretto muttered as she walked out of the Glutamax Blog Contest awarding ceremony and press conference held last April 7, 2010, at Eastwood City in Libis.

But La Greta seemed to be in high spirits at the start of the press conference, based on the photos taken by bloggers present at the event that night.  Her mood took on a sour note, however, when reporters kept firing questions about the simultaneous airing of her episode in Maalaala Mo Kaya on ABS-CBN and her younger sister’s drama anthology's premiere on rival network GMA-7 on April 10, 2010.

She explained that she had no hand in the network's decisions. "Ako po ay isang aktor at isa pong bagong Kapamilya. Hindi po ako nagde-demand sa ABS kung kailan ipapalabas, kung saan ako kukunin na programa. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang makakatapat kong show sa ibang istasyon. (I am an actor and a new Kapamilya. I don't make demands on ABS when it should be aired, which program I should appear. I don't know what shows it will compete with in other stations)."

Gretchen thought it was actually a good thing that her show and Claudine's will be on the same time slot. "For me it’s more of a positive thing kasi magkapatid kami. Dalawa kaming Barretto at [we are sisters. Two of us Barrettos] we will dominate the 8:30 slot this Saturday."

Reporters then informed her that Claudine Barretto and their parents thought differently, and were dismayed that the two shows were being pitted against each other.

Gretchen then lost her composure. "How sad [that the] interview started so happy [then]... I’m, you know, disappointed that people can be so happy about it. Magkapatid kami. Hindi kami dapat pag-awayin. (We are sisters. We should not be made to fight)." She then left the venue in tears.

Boy Abunda, her manager, defended his ward by taking responsibility for what happened. "I'm responsible for her doing this material, tapos binibigyan ng kulay na ito'y ginagamit para pagsabungin ang magkapatid, (then it is being given malice to make the sisters fight) which is totally unfair."

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

Just another publicity stunt

Some reporters did not buy the brouhaha.  Morly Aquino of Pinoy Paparazzi thought the walk-out was just another one of La Greta’s gimmicks. The public thought that it is becoming Gretchen’s habit to walk out of interviews so as to create a buzz for a new project.  In 2008, the actress walked out of the set of Entertainment Live! after watching Nadia Montenegro divulge details of their misunderstanding.

“Larawan” vs. “Alzheimers”

TNS ratings showed Gretchen's "Larawan" trumped over Claudine's  "Alzheimers." The MMK episode got 31.4% tv ratings while Claudine earned a mere 14.7%.

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

MMK’s “Larawan” (“Picture”) was penned by Ruel P. Motañez and directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng.  The plot revolved around a widow who fell in love with and eventually married a priest.  On the other hand, Claudine’s “Alzheimers,” which was directed by Laurice Guillen, was a story about a young woman’s journey through married life with a husband who had an early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

Viewers thought "Larawan" had a better plot, gripping conflicts, and an interesting twist, while "Alzheimer" seemed to be a copy cat of the movies 50 First Dates and The Notebook. The production of "Larawan" was well-budgeted, as there were scenes set in different locations, not to mention that there were more actors in its cast.

Fans thought Gretchen's acting was "ok" but Claudine stood out. The story of "Alzheimer's" might have been simpler but Claudine's acting prowess made her episode a must-watch. Some fans thought La Greta’s eyebrows and pouty lips were distracting. "Hindi gumagalaw ang face niya sa sobrang retoke, (her face seemed to be not moving because of too much facial enhancement)," a fan complained.

Missing her sister

Gretchen Barretto admitted that she has not spoken to her sister yet. She called up her brother to confirm if their folks were really mad at her.  She felt better after hearing her brother say, “Dad is very proud of you and everybody is proud!”  Her brother also denied what the reporters told her.  “Wala kaming sinasabing ganoon tungkol sa iyo kay Claudine. (We haven’t said anything bad about you to Claudine),” he said.

This comforted the controversial star. "After that, I felt better."

Being the Ate (older sister), she said she would be willing to do the first move and make amends with her younger sister.  “Nami-miss ko sya, (I miss her,”) she emotionally told the press.  She believes that all they need is "some space, a little time" to think things through and that she and Claudine Barretto will be on good terms once again.

Doing good in their respective networks

Aside from her weekly drama series on GMA-7, Claudine Barretto is set to shoot a movie with Richard Gutierrez and Anne Curtis.  The movie entitled In Your Eyes is a production of Viva Films and GMA Films.

Meanwhile, Gretchen Barretto gears up for a drama series with Bea Alonzo.  It was reported that the younger Barretto sister was in mind for Alonzo’s role but that was before she joined the rival network.

Photo: “Gretchen Form” by Richard, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved