Singer-actress ZsaZsa Padilla publicly expressed her disappointment with the Aliw Awards Foundation after Lifetime Achievement Award recipients were not given the opportunity to deliver acceptance speeches during the awards night.
Padilla was among the honorees for the evening, alongside Lani Misalucha, Gary Valenciano, and other respected figures in the industry. However, after being called onstage and handed their awards, the recipients were abruptly asked to leave without being allowed to speak.
“Wala ba man lang tayong speech?!” Padilla was heard saying onstage before they were escorted off.
Following the incident, Padilla took to Instagram to share her frustration, describing the experience as humiliating rather than celebratory.
“I felt like crying. I was still dumbfounded by how the awarding was handled. To be dismissed so abruptly after supposedly being ‘honored’ was shocking and embarrassing. What was the point of being there with our families?” she wrote.
“So, Aliw, please do better,” she added.
Padilla later revealed that she has decided to return the Lifetime Achievement Award she received that night. In a detailed statement posted online, she explained how much the recognition initially meant to her.
“When I received word that I had been chosen as a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award, I was elated. I didn’t prepare a written speech, thinking it would be better to speak from the heart. After all, I had so much to be grateful for, having been in this industry for 42 years,” she said.
She shared that she wanted to acknowledge concert producers, directors, musicians, writers, production teams, fellow artists, and the audience who supported her career, noting that members of her family were present at the ceremony.
However, Padilla said the actual awarding was far from what she expected.
“All Lifetime Achievement Award recipients were called onstage together, but only three of us were present: myself and Lani Misalucha for live performance, and Frankie Asinero for classical music. We were handed our awards and waited for a while, assuming we would be given the opportunity to say a few words,” she recounted.
“Instead, a production staff member eventually signaled for us to step down. I turned to Lani and said, ‘Wala ba man lang tayong speech?!’ Still, we respectfully went down together,” she added.
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Padilla said the irony was not lost on her when a vlogger asked for her reaction outside the venue.
“As I exited the ballroom, a vlogger asked for my thoughts on receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award. Ironically, that became the moment I delivered the acceptance speech I was never allowed to give onstage,” she said.
She further pointed out what she saw as inconsistencies in how the program was handled.
“Everyone else that evening was given the chance to speak after receiving their awards. In fact, a speech was even read by a representative following our segment,” she said, citing examples of other awardees who were accommodated despite delays or wardrobe changes.
“What was missing was sincerity,” Padilla stressed.
“Instead of feeling honored, I was left feeling small as I walked off that stage. For that reason, I am returning the award to you. I hope you understand this gesture and take it as an opportunity to learn how to honor your recipients with the respect they deserve,” she concluded.
As of this writing, the Aliw Awards Foundation has yet to issue a public response to Padilla’s statement.
