Pilita throws tantrum in Europe

Pilita throws tantrum in Europe


By LOUI GALICIA

ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Pilita Corrales threw a tantrum in front of Filipinos in the Netherlands after a fund-raising concert which featured her and performers Richard Merk, Lolita Carbon and Rachel Ann Wolfe, witnesses told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.

The Pinoys who were at the scene said Corrales hollered and screamed at the Filipino organizer of the concert, Carmen Jebb, in a fit of rage over her talent fee, which she claims to be unpaid.

"Nagulat na lang ako dahil si Pilita, pino-point niya yung finger niya ke Carmen Jebb. Eh di ba very unprofessional naman 'yon. Hindi lang 'yon. Nung inabot ni Carmen Jebb 'yong papel, hinagis niya pabalik ke Carmen Jebb. Eh kahit naman sino pag ginawa sa ‘yo ‘yon magagalit syempre kaya sumigaw na si Carmen Jebb," eyewitness Connie Miranda said.

(I was surprised because Pilita was already pointing her finger at Carmen Jebb. Isn't that unprofessional. Not only that. When Carmen Jebb handed her the document, she threw it back at Jebb. That's when Jebb got angry and also began shouting.)

"Sumisigaw siya. Ang lakas ng boses niya. Me sinasabi pa siya, liar daw si Carmen Jebb. Marami siyang sinasabi. Hindi lang 'yon. Dahil bago pa mangyari 'yon, nung show, kasi nandun din ako, marami siyang sinasabi sa mga tao na hindi daw magandang organizer si Carmen Jebb dahil liar, manloloko, 'di daw siya binabayaran," Miranda added.

(Corrales was shouting in such a loud voice. She called Jebb a liar among other things. Not only that. Even before the show started she was already bad-mouthing Jebb to a lot of people, calling her a liar, a swindler, and a bad organizer who refused to pay her.)

One of the emcees also noted that Corrales was already edgy backstage during the concert.

"We were waiting for our cue to come on stage, suddenly Pilita Corrales sat beside us and started complaining. I didn't know what she was trying to say. I sat down and listened to her. 'This woman did not pay me. Not a single cent. That's really how she said it. Not a single cent. You know I usually charge 6,000 dollars but since I know it is for charity, I only charged 4,000 but still I did not get paid for it,'" host Ricky Tuazon recounted.

"And then later on she went on to say that she had six tapings, that she would miss six tapings because of this, that she shouldn't have come. And then she talked about the postponement of the concert and she said it was canceled three times. And because of the visas, it was Carmen's fault that these visas were not approved.

"That's what she said. I didn't know how or why or for which technicalities. ‘Yon ang sinabi niya sa akin. 'Di daw na-approve dahil sa kagagawan ni Carmen. Or something like that. I don't know. But she just went on and on that she wasn't paid for this," Tuazon added.

Tuazon, who didn't witness the screaming spree between Corrales and Jebb, already had a strong feeling that something like that would ensue.

"She also warned me that she's going to accost her [Jebb] like she was going to face her with this problem so I sort of felt that something's gonna happen," Tuazon declared.

The "Scent of Home" concert, which was already postponed three times since June 16, was organized in a chaotic rush.

As soon as the performers were granted visas during the last week of October, Jebb decided to push through with the concert in the Netherlands even with only one week to spend on its promotion because she was determined to finish her project for the benefit of a foundation for the deaf and blind children in Bicol.

Jebb called ABS-CBN for an exclusive interview to explain her side.

According to Jebb, she already anticipated that Corrales would make a scene because just the night before, the singer allegedly screamed after the concert in Belgium when she demanded US$4,000 from the organizer there.

But Jebb claims that she had already transferred the talent fee in full to Corrales's bank account as early as May 21.

Jebb provided ABS-CBN a copy of the bank statement showing that the amount of $4,000 or 3,225.81 euros had been transferred to the account of "Pilar Corrales" as downpayment for the June 16 concert in Haarlem.

Jebb said that it all started after the concert when Corrales's husband Carlos Lopez approached her about the sales of the singer's CDs.

Afterward, Corrales called Jebb to talk about the talent fee. Jebb at that time had the bank statement and other papers ready on hand.

"When I showed Pilita the papers… 'Pilita this is the bank account na pinadala namin sa iyo nung May 21…4,000 dollars' …Pilita grabbed the paper and threw it right on my face. I was shocked and she was screaming. 'Liar,' sabi niya sa akin. 'Liar!' And a lot of people was still there. 'You didn't pay me Carmen, you are a liar,'" Jebb said.

Jebb was shocked because she respects Corrales and her husband and they were friends in the Philippines.

"I was turned off. Na-turn off ako. Di ko napigilan 'yong sarili ko. Sinabi ko sa kanya, 'Liar ka rin because you are denying the money. Why would you not accept that you received the 4,000 dollars?'" Jebb said.

"And with her finger, [pointing it] straight [at] my face, parang inaano niya sa mukha ko habang nagsasalita siya, 'You liar.' Dinuduro akong ganyan. Halos masundot na mukha ko," Jebb said.

"'No, you didn't pay me Carmen. No, you didn't pay.' Talagang sumisigaw siya and then she said to me, 'I am going to put you on the newspaper.' I said 'You try it Pilita and I am going to have an interview with TFC.' And then she was walking out of the door and she was screaming and screaming, 'Liar, liar ka, manloloko ka. Maraming galit na Pilipino sa 'yo," Jebb said.

Jebb said that the Pinays who lined up to get Corrales's autograph were all shocked to witness the incident.

"Sabi nila, Ate Carmen nadismaya kami. Ganyan pala si Pilita. Ganyan pala siya mangmata ng tao. I never expected it in my entire life. I organized this concert for her and for the rest of the performing artists, for Lolita Carbon, for Richard Merk. Sila talaga ang star nung gabi. Hindi lang si Pilita. Pero did I get something [of] worth out of it? No, I got a shit on my face. Ang sakit talaga. Ang sakit," Jebb said.

Singer Carbon, interviewed via telephone as she was boarding the plane on her flight back to the Philippines, said that the incident could have been dealt with in a civilized manner but that Corrales acted that way because of her stature.

"Alam mo naman prima donna 'yan eh. Ibig sabihin being the legend as Pilita Corrales, talagang she has her own, she has the right to demand because icon eh. You know naman how an icon [acts]. Minsan ako din ganon din pero I do not do the talking. I have a manager," Carbon said.

Jebb fears that the worse is yet to come from Corrales who she heard plans to get even with her by involving her beauty queen daughter Anne Marie in the issue.

Anne Marie or Anna Jebb (screen name) represented the Philippines in China in July at the Ms. Tourism Queen International pageant and, as per Jebb, is being groomed to be an ABS-CBN contract star.

"Binantaan ni Pilita ang anak ko na ibabagsak daw niya ang anak ko, sisiraan daw niya sa ABS-CBN. Which is pinagmamalaki niya siya daw ang nagpakilala sa ABS-CBN. Wrong, Pilita, wrong. Me manager ang anak ko. Si Becky Aguila ang nagdala ke Anna Jebb sa ABS-CBN. Hindi ikaw, kaya please problema nating dalawa ito. Huwag mong idamay ang anak ko," Jebb said in a message to Corrales.

While waiting for Corrales to speak to the media, Jebb has only one message.

"Pilita, I am not your muchacha. Hindi mo dapat ako pinahiya sa harap ng tao. I told you we can talk in a corner. Nakiusap ako sa asawa mo pero binasura mo ako. I don't, I can't accept it Pilita and I can't forget this in my entire life… I am not an artist. I am not showbiz pero hindi ako busabos, Pilita," Jebb said.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=99161