Latest news with #GMANewsOnline
GMA Network
a day ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Veteran director Fritz Ynfante passes away at 84
The veteran television director Fritz Ynfante has passed away. A family member, Peachy Ynfante-Talanay, confirmed his death to GMA News Online on Tuesday. Ynfante passed away at 6:30 a.m. on Monday at the age of 84. His cause of death was not immediately known. Per Ynfante-Talanay, whose mother is a second cousin of Direk Fritz, her uncle would have turned 85 on August 4. Direk Fritz was known for helming various TV shows, including the popular music variety show "Penthouse Live," which starred Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez as co-hosts. The show ran on GMA Network in the '80s. Aside from Direk Fritz's work behind the camera, he was also an actor, starring in the 1998 GMA Pictures film "Jose Rizal," as well as Lino Brocka's "Gumising ka... Maruja" (1978) and "Mananayaw" (1978), among others. He had also served as a consultant of the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. On Instagram, Nievera paid tribute to Direk Fritz as he shared a photo of the two of them together along with a heartfelt caption. "He gave me my first pair of wings as a TV host on a television show called 'Penthouse Live' and was a true believer of the Pops and Martin team. He always trusted us with his direction and his gazillion changes on every script," he wrote. According to Nievera, Direk Fritz was instrumental in his television career, adding that he was also among the first who helped transform Fernandez from concert princess to concert queen. "Tito Fritz I will forever be grateful. I will miss you. Thank you for all you did not just for me, but for all of us whose careers you scolded and molded until each of our dreams came true. I love you!" —CDC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
PH Embassy warns vs child porn amid arrest of 18 Pinoy seafarers in US
The Philippine Embassy in Washington has issued an advisory against possession and distribution of child pornography in the US amid "increasing incidents onboard vessels in American waters." 'In view of increasing incidents of arrests, detention and deportation of individuals due to child pornography-related offenses, the Philippine embassy reminds the members of the Filipino community and overseas Filipino workers in the United States and onboard vessels in US territorial waters, that child pornography is one of the worst forms of child exploitation and to consume it perpetuates such exploitation,' the embassy said on July 19. The embassy did not mention a specific incident but the statement was made after US online news Wavy said the Filipino workers of Carnival Sunshine cruise line, all bearing valid 10-year C-1/D visas, were 'forcibly removed in handcuffs' by Customs and Border Patrol officers at the Port of Norfolk in Virginia. Officers reportedly told the workers they were accused of possessing child pornography, 'In this regard, everyone is enjoined to desist from downloading, possessing, viewing, transporting, distributing and selling child pornography,' said the embassy advisory. GMA News Online has reached out to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers for comment, but they have yet to reply as of posting time. Arrests Since the Biden administration, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Customs and Border Protection have conducted a series of arrests of cruise ship employees due to alleged child pornography. Aquilina Soriano Versoza, executive director of the Pilipino Workers Center, and other members of the group protested the arrest outside the cruise ship, saying the Filipinos were abruptly removed despite lack of evidence and due legal process. The embassy, on the other hand, said it 'respects the right of individuals to seek redress of grievances or take legal action if they feel they have been wrongly accused of legal infractions.' 'Please contact the Philippine embassy or the nearest Philippine consulate general and migrant workers office for consular and welfare assistance,' it said. The Philippines is one of the world's largest providers of shipping manpower in the world. A bulk of Filipino seamen or more than 20 percent of the world's 1.2 million sailors are manning oil tankers, cargo ships, luxury liners, and passenger vessels worldwide. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
'The Clash': Marian Pimenta says singing competition brought her out of her comfort zone
Even though her 'The Clash' journey ended on Sunday, Marian Pimenta still has high hopes for her singing career. The college student from Lipa, Batangas told GMA News Online in an interview that although she lost, 'If matapos po 'yung journey ko sa 'The Clash,' sa 'The Clash' lang po 'yun.' ''Di po 'ko titigil kasi ito po 'yung first competition ko and bata pa 'ko. Ang dami ko pang opportunities na pwedeng ma-grab.' Marian also said that her main intent in joining the competition was for her voice to be heard, and to prove wrong those who do not believe in her. Another goal was to show people that singers of any genre can join singing competitions. 'Na-normalize na 'yung 'The Clash' is puro biritan,' she said. 'Hindi lang laging nabirit, parang diversity, magiging open-minded po mga tao na ah, sa 'The Clash' pala, hindi lang sila natingin sa mataas ang boses or mababa, natingin sila kung ano talaga 'yung ganda ng boses mo.' 'Gusto ko po ipakita sa kanila na 'yung boses ko, kahit hindi maingay, hindi siya 'yung parang malakas, 'di loud, 'di ako super confident, may mararating pa rin po ako,' she added. More than that, she hopes her 'The Clash' journey will be a way for her to inspire those with social anxiety and lacking self-confidence. She looked back on how she previously feared public speaking, socializing, and sharing her thoughts, adding that the show taught her to get out of her comfort zone. 'Every event na nangyari or every situation na napasok ko sa 'The Clash,' lagi siyang may advantage sa 'kin. Lagi siyang may binibigay sa 'kin,' Marian said. 'Ngayon po, nalabas ko 'yung personality ko nang maingay ako, nalalabas ko 'yung mga gusto kong sabihin, nakakapag kulit po ako. 'Yun po 'yung biggest achievement ko.' In a previous interview with GMA News Online, Marian likened her 'The Clash' journey to 'The Scientist' by Coldplay, saying that she gained opportunities because of the show. —JCB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
VP Sara: ICC, Marcos worked together to take down Duterte
Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday claimed that the Marcos administration had colluded with the International Criminal Court to take down her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. In her speech during the Free Duterte Now rally in The Hague, Netherlands, Sara said the ICC decided to prosecute her father for crimes against humanity, with the help of the Marcos administration, in relation to the war on drugs despite questions surrounding claims about unlawful killings. 'Ano sabi nila? 30,000 dead. Nagsimula sila sa 12[000]. Umakyat sila sa 15,000. Umakyat sila sa 30,000. Lahat ng mga namatay - DDS. Pero kung hingin mo sa kanila ang listahan, walang listahan ng 30,000. At anong lumabas sa charges nila? 43 counts of murder. Kaduda-duda pa yung ibang sinasabi ng mga biktima dahil hindi masabi, yung totoo na sila ay biktima ng EJK [extrajudicial killings],' she said. (What did they say? 30,000 dead. It started at 12[000]. It climbed to 15,000. It increased to 30,000. All of those who died were DDS. But if you asked them for a list, there's no list of the 30,000. What came out in the charges? 43 counts of murder. Claims from other victims were also suspicious because they couldn't say the truth that they were victims of EJK.) 'Alam ng ICC na ganyan ang estado ng kaso, pero pinilit pa rin nilang kunin si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Hindi na nila makuha yun eh. Pero ano nangyari? Binigay siya ng administrasyon ni Marcos. Ginamit, nagkuntsaba ang ICC at ang administrasyon ni BBM. Gamitan tayo dito. Kailangan nyo ng kaso. Kailangan namin palayasin yan dito kasi talong-talo na kami sa politika,' she added. (The ICC knows this is the status of the case, but they still insisted on taking former president Rodrigo Duterte. They couldn't get him. But what happened? The Marcos administration handed him over. The ICC and the BBM administration colluded. They used each other. You needed a case, and we needed to drive him away because we were losing in politics.) In response, ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah said, ''We can't comment on political statements.'' ''The Court is a judicial institution and any challenges raised before the judges would be decided on by the ICC Judges,'' El Abdallah said in an email to GMA News Online. GMA News Online has also sought comment from Malacañang. Duterte was arrested in the Philippines by local authorities on March 11 based on a warrant issued by the ICC. He is currently detained in the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague. Sara said her father's detention lacked basis. 'Mayroong tao diyan sa loob ng ICC detention na nakakulong na ang pinagbasehan ay marites… Meron tayong dating pangulo na nakakulong dahil ginawa niya ang kanyang trabaho para sa bayan,' she said. (There is someone inside the ICC detention that was detained based on rumors… We have a former president that is detained because he did his job for the country.) 'Nakikialam ang ICC sa ginagawa natin para sa bayan natin. Nakikialam sila sa governance ng ating bayan. Nakikialam sila dahil meron silang some sort of, unang-una, agenda at kailangan nila panindigan yung suporta na pera na ibinibigay ng iba't ibang mga bansa para sa kanila at meron silang ina-apply na global order para sa lahat. Nakikialam sila sa pagpapatakbo o sa gusto ng mga sariling Pilipino para sa kanilang bayan o sa Pilipinas,' she continued. (The ICC is meddling in what we are doing for our country. They are meddling in the country's governance. They are meddling because they have some sort of agenda, and they need to justify the financial support provided to them by different countries by showing that they apply global order for all. They are meddling in how the Philippines is being run or what the Filipinos want for their country.) The Vice President continued her call for Duterte's release and return to the Philippines. 'Kaya tayo nandito kasi gusto natin sabihin sa ICC, bitawan nyo na yan. Huwag nyo kaming pakialaman. Dahil bansa namin ito, kung ano yung gusto namin mangyari, kami lang mga Pilipino ang magdidesisyon,' she said. (That is why I am here because I want to tell the ICC to back off. Don't interfere because it is our country. What we Filipinos want to happen should be decided by us alone.) Meanwhile, Sara said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was pretending to be 'kind' and 'low-key.'' 'Nagkukunwari siya na mabait. Gusto niya ipakita sa lahat ng mga tao na mabait ako, pero dahil presidente ka manggagaling pa rin sa iyo ang utos. Hindi siya weak leader para sa akin. Ang basa ko sa kanya gusto niyang ipakita na mabait siya na Marcos, hindi siya tulad noong kanyang tatay. Hindi siya yung Marcos na diktador, ang kanya ay 'lowkey' ang kanyang gustong i-project sa ating lahat,' she said. (He's just pretending to be kind. He wants to show the people that he is kind, but because he is the president, the orders come from him. For me, he is not a weak leader. My take on him is that he wanted to present as a kind Marcos, unlike his father. He is not a dictator Marcos, but he preferred to project himself as 'low-key.') Sara added that she saw no successful projects under the current administration. —with Jay-vee Marasigan Pangan and Mariel Celine Serquiña/VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Lola Amour says they don't let pressure of creating another hit dictate the music they make
Lola Amour has had a roster of hit songs throughout their career, like 'Fallen,' 'Dahan Dahan,' 'Pwede Ba,' and of course, 'Raining in Manila.' 'Raining in Manila' has been a massive hit since it came out in 2023, with the likes of National Artist Ricky Lee and K-Pop band Enhypen becoming fans of the song. Michael V. even made a spoof of the song titled 'Waiting Here sa Pila.' The song gave Lola Amour a larger fanbase in the Philippines and abroad, and it is safe to say that it still gets played today. But despite producing a megahit, Lola Amour has their feet planted on the ground, and is not letting any pressure get to them to release another one. In an interview with GMA News Online, vocalist Pio Dumayas said that there is always pressure to an extent when it comes to creating and releasing songs, 'but the point is, we don't let that pressure dictate what kind of music we make.' 'I don't want to put anyone down who's chasing hits, but I don't think that's something that works for us, because what has been working for Lola Amour for the longest time is to make whatever music we want to and then hope someone likes it,' he said. Pio added, 'You can see it from our discography na magkaiba talaga lahat ng kanta namin and walang nagbago. I guess it's just the way 'yung taste namin, the way we write music, but the why of why we make the music is it's always been the same.' Trumpet player Angelo Mesina said that they are not the type to follow trends with each release. 'Even way back then, we made songs to cater to what we felt was right for the song. We made the music to encapsulate what the lyricist made, what we felt during at that time, didn't necessarily dictate to what genre it could be.' Keyboardist David Yuhico said it best: 'As someone wise once said, it's about the art and not the charts.' Lola Amour is set to release their sophomore album 'Love on Loop' on August 15. This year, Lola Amour released the singles 'Maria,' 'Misbehave,' 'Dance with My Mistakes,' and 'The Moment.' Lola Amour released their self-titled debut album in April 2024, and celebrated with a grand album launch at the Circuit Makati Event Grounds, a sold-out show at Draft Punk in Cebu, and an album tour. —JCB, GMA Integrated News
