Albert Martinez defends Jericho Rosales

June 4, 2008

ALBERT Martinez just returned from Kuala Lumpur where he’s doing the Fil-Malaysian co-production, “A Time for Us,” with Jericho Rosales. “I stayed there for one month and we shot all over Malaysia, including inside their most famous landmark, the Petronas Towers,” he says.

“I play the stepfather of Jericho’s leading lady, Carmen Soo, and I’m against it when they fall in love with each other. Ang wife ko rito who’s Carmen’s mother is a Malaysian actress named Soo San. Kabangga ko rito ang ninong ni Jericho, si Christopher de Leon. We were given VIP treatment there and we stayed in our own villas na may two bedrooms and two bathrooms each.

Our Malaysian co-stars and co-workers are all very nice, very accommodating, really going out of their way to please us. We rehearse all our dialogue in English so they can understand it, but during the actual, we Pinoys deliver our lines in Tagalog at kapag pinalabas na roon, lalagyan na lang ng Malay and Chinese subtitles.

Jericho is a real superstar. He’s recognized sa immigration, also by cops and taxi drivers. When we shot in public, pinagkaguluhan siya ng mga tao kasi kilala siya because ‘Pangako Sa Iyo’ was a hit there. Right now, ang pinalalabas naman doon is ‘Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay’ ni Lorna Tolentino.”

What was Jericho’s reaction when he learned that Heart Evangelista has broken up with him? “He was affected by it. Talagang nalungkot siya nang husto, lalo na when he was linked to Carmen, which is not true. Carmen is coming over here next week to shoot our scenes here and I told her she should brace herself dahil for sure, she’d be asked about it. She might not be used to this kind of intrigues. After taping here for one month in Boracay and Palawan, babalik pa kaming lahat sa Malaysia in August to finish taping the whole series. Kasi most of what happens in the story is set there.”

By September, he hopes to start the shooting of the first movie his company Cinemabuhay, is producing, a period drama, “Rosario,” set in the 1920s. “We will recreate Binondo during that era. The story is based on a true story that hit the headlines in 1926. It’s about a young woman, Rosario Perrera, a Spanish-Portuguese mestiza who marries an older man, Vicente. They have two kids.

When Vicente gets sick, Rosario is attracted to the boyfriend of her cousin and gets pregnant. She’s sued for adultery. At that time, ibang-iba ang moral values ng mga tao and she was punished for being immoral. May cast na kami, but I’m not at liberty yet to announce it. Saka na lang. It’ll be directed by Maryo de los Reyes who directed me before in ‘Laman’, ‘Hindi Mo Ako Kayang Tapakan’ and ‘Magnifico’.”

Why did he choose to do an expensive period film for his first project? “Me and my investor friends want to come up with something that will make us proud of Philippine cinema. We want it to qualify in film festivals abroad, so I’m getting the most competent technical people from the advertising to handle the cinematography, editing and other technical aspects to make sure world class talaga ito.”

Among those considered for the title role are Bea Alonzo, Marian Rivera, Kristine Hermosa and Angelica Panganiban. But Albert won’t reveal their final choice.

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