Award-winning actress Alessandra De Rossi defended the work of director Joyce Bernal regarding President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
A SONA is a constitutional obligation and yearly tradition in which chief executives report on the status of the country, unveil the government’s agenda for the coming year, and propose to Congress certain legislative measures.
The film director was lambasted on social media because the netizens were not satisfied with her work despite her promise of “Pinoy na Pinoy” coverage and a SONA with a different flavor after covering the annual address for 3 years.
“Para sa mga tao naman (ito) so ibang flavor naman. Pinoy na Pinoy. Mas maiintindihan, mas magaan,” the comedy director said.
Direk Bernal mentioned that the address will be simpler in appearance but “complicated” in technical terms given the changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Parang sumimple siya pero naging complicated siya technically because hindi ko alam kung nalimit ‘yung mga tao dito sa loob pero merong mga remote areas na kailangan kong kunan,” she said.
“Yung video conference meron akong IT na gagawa, kasi di ako marunong sa ganyan. Pero pag-aaralan ko na yun on the day itself na. Bukas lockdown na ito eh. On the day itself na technical rehearsal ko,” she added.
Netizens have been saying that Bernal’s work was a big flop and that her hype and statement about it were just lies to get the attention of the public. People were disappointed to know that the director’s “new flavor” and “Pinoy na Pinoy” concept were nowhere to be found.
Alessandra De Rossi defended the director from the bashers when she responded to them on Twitter.
Show me the receipts!!!
https://t.co/8FdKsQfji0
— alessandra de rossi (@msderossi) July 28, 2020
“Show me the receipts!!!” Alessandra said.
The actress demanded a receipt or proof of what the netizen was claiming. The basher accused Bernal of spending millions just to get the footages for the SONA but didn’t even include any clear evidence to back up the statement.
Alessandra then challenged the netizen to post the said the ‘millions’ worth of expenses so that the actress would be convinced that the said claims are true. She mentioned that she would want to know the truth and that she was eagerly waiting for the liquidation expenses.
Naghihitay ako ng liquidation.
— alessandra de rossi (@msderossi) July 28, 2020
Post mo dito yung millions, miss.
We would like to know the truth. Resibo. Im waiting, miss.
— alessandra de rossi (@msderossi) July 28, 2020
“Naghihintay ako ng liquidation,” she said.
“Post mo dito yung millions, miss. We would like to know the truth. Resibo. Im waiting, miss,” she added.
She mocked the netizen for spreading fake news to the people. She wanted to let the people know that before they start to judge a person, they should first make sure that they possess concrete evidence as to not stain the person’s name and credibility.
Alessandra is close to Bernal that’s why she can’t stand the people’s harsh words towards the film director and decided to speak up for her.
She also shared a short video that was directed by Joyce Bernal. The video contained various footage highlighting the beauty of the Philippines and even included the famous Banaue Rice Terraces.
Ayun naman pala. Ang ganda ng Pilipinas, wa naman pala nakakita. Naiwan pala sa ere.
#resibo pic.twitter.com/d6M04Z0JAo
— alessandra de rossi (@msderossi) July 28, 2020
“Ayun naman pala. Ang ganda ng Pilipinas, wa naman pala nakakita. Naiwan pala sa ere,” she said.
She then praised and gave credit to the director’s video when a netizen said, “Grabe saludo ako sa gumawa. Napakaganda.” Alessandra replied saying that all the recognition should be Joyce Bernal’s as she was able to capture the beauty of the country. She urged the people to be kind not only to one another but to nature as well to be able to preserve its beauty.
Joyce Bernal. Yan ang opening kahapon. Wala yata nakapanood. Ako nalang. Sayang eh. Pilipinas, wag nating sayangin ang ganda mo.
— alessandra de rossi (@msderossi) July 28, 2020
“Joyce Bernal. Yan ang opening kahapon. Wala yata nakapanood. Ako nalang. Sayang eh. Pilipinas, wag nating sayangin ang ganda mo. Maging mabuting tao tayo at alagaan ang kalikasan, dahil sya rin ang nagaalaga sa atin,” said the actress.
Bernal is a Duterte supporter who is known for her blockbuster films in the comedy and romantic comedy genre. She directed the SONA for the third straight year. When she first directed SONA in 2018, Bernal said she directed the event for free.
On July 6, Piolo Pascual, Bernal, and others went to Sagada to shoot for the SONA of Duterte. The group however was rejected by the Sagada Municipal Council due to strict health protocols in light of the pandemic, wherein arrivals of individuals from the densely populated metro have been attributed to higher cases of COVID-19.
The group ended up going back to Baguio where they did the shoot after passing through the LGUs triage procedure.
Alessandra de Rossi won the FAMAS Awards Best Supporting Actress for her role in Azucena. She won the part of Valentina, the villainess of the comic turned fantasy TV series, Darna, which aired on GMA Network in 2005.
She gained popularity for her role in the 2017 romantic comedy film Kita Kita as Lea, a tour guide in Sapporo, Japan who became blind for four weeks. In 2018, she also appeared in the romantic drama Since I Found You alongside Piolo Pascual, Arci Muñoz, and her Kita Kita leading men Empoy.
She starred in the film Through Night and Day (2018) along with Paolo Contis. She also leads the Filipino cast of the award-winning film Watch List (2020) directed by American-Indian Ben Rekhi where she portrayed a woman whose husband was killed, leaving her with the responsibility of a breadwinner and protector of her family.
