Eva Darren's family accepts FAMAS apology after alleged snub

MANILA --  The family of screen veteran Eva Darren on Tuesday accepted the public apology issued by the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS).

This was after Darren who was invited by the award-giving body failed to present special citations alongside actor Tirso Cruz III as scheduled.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, Darren's son, Fernando de la Pena, started by thanking all those who expressed their support and love for his mother, who won FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award in 1996. 

He said his mom "has found some comfort in the midst of a loving family which includes you all."

"I firmly believe that what hurt my mother the most is disappointing her apos who tagged along in the hopes of seeing grandma on stage. We also know that Mr. Tirso Cruz III (Veteran actor loved by all, donor of many camping tents when I was a Boy Scout in grade school) and the PR Officer of FAMAS Mr. Renz Spangler (An incredible author and lover of classic cinema), have nothing to do with what happened and just the same, were casualties of someone’s questionable backstage judgment," dela Pena added.

FAMAS had said the incident was caused by live broadcast challenges and the bustling atmosphere of the event, which hindered the production team from locating Darren for the scheduled presentation.

But Dela Pena noted that his mother "was seated in a table front and center adjacent to the stage, rubbing elbows with my second mom, Ninang Divina Valencia and my awesome Tita Marissa Delgado."

"For the reasons I stated above and on behalf of my mother, Ms. Eva Darren, our family accepts the olive branch that FAMAS has extended and only hope that future events would prove to be contrasting," he added.

Before he ended his message, dela Pena shared his recommendation to FAMAS.

"I understand that we are but a small voice in the back row of a rowdy crowd, but if I may humbly, personally, recommend two things for the 73rd FAMAS Awards Night: Please stick to the script… and maybe a nice pair of eyeglasses for all in charge," dela Pena wrote.

Below are screen grabs of dela Pena's response to the FAMAS apology:

Screen grab: Facebook/Fernando dela Pena

In a statement released on Monday addressing the incident, FAMAS expressed deep regret and acknowledged the unintended nature of Darren's absence. 

“Rest assured that this was not intentional and purely a misjudgment. The show is being streamed live and needed to be remedied right away. Hence, a replacement for Miss Darren was done last minute,” it said.

FAMAS extended its sincerest apologies to Darren and her family, reaffirming its commitment to upholding professionalism, respect, and integrity in all its endeavors.

“We truly value Miss Darren and the rest of the veteran stars present last night true to the Homecoming Concept of the show. But as there were brilliant moments to the most star-studded awards night in recent memory, there were also hitches and unfortunate developments in a live show such as this one,” FAMAS said.

FAMAS issues public apology to Eva Darren after awards night incident

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