SOP (Philippine TV Series) - Other Controversies Faced By SOP

Other Controversies Faced By SOP

SOP suffered a controversy in early 2003 when one of its main hosts, Janno Gibbs, walked out after the show’s opening number in a particular episode and never came back. The incident was triggered when Janno’s wife, Bing Loyzaga reportedly that she was given a cold treatment by the people who were together with her in the dressing room. GMA executives conducted an investigation on the incident and suspended Janno from the show for 2 months.

While the suspension was in effect, Janno appeared in the rival show ASAP where his wife Bing Loyzaga celebrated her birthday. He also guested in Aga Muhlach’s comedy show "OK Fine Whatever". This fueled speculations that he was transferring to ABS-CBN. Reports said that ABS-CBN has presented an offer to Janno where his talent fee will be doubled, and will have 3 regular shows (including ASAP), movies with Star Cinema (the network’s film arm), and recordings with Star Records. But Janno refused the offer made by ABS-CBN after GMA decided to lift his suspension from SOP and signed him up for a new comedy program that will further boost his team-up with bosom buddy Anjo Yllana and veteran comedian Joey de Leon. Janno returned to SOP on May 2003 and started working for his new comedy program on GMA, "Nuts Entertainment."

Also on that same year, rumors spread that Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez were making beautiful music together. The story surfaced while the two were doing a series of Valentine concerts entitled "The Singer and the Songwriter." Ogie’s wife, Michelle Van Eimeren was reportedly affected by the rumors but she has already denied this. Moreover, Ogie and Regine have denied the rumor as well as they have stressed that the two of them have a "wonderful working relationship and are very good friends."

In 2005, some SOP hosts like Janno Gibbs, Jay-R, Kyla and Aryana were feted by their rival hosts in ASAP's Platinum Circle Awards. The awarding became a controversy because GMA executives felt that SOP was being used for ASAP's own gain. But ABS-CBN's Deo Endrinal pointed out that the inclusion of the four SOP hosts in the winners circle of the ASAP Platinum Circle was done without malice and it was not an intention to insult their rival show. As a result, the GMA management did not allow any of the representatives from their subsidiary GMA Records nor the four SOP hosts to appear in the rival show ASAP to accept the awards.

In August 19, 2006, rumors about Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez's love affair once again came out in the open after the Philippine broadsheet, The Philippine Star came out with a banner headline in the entertainment section that Ogie has filed for an annulment case against his wife Michelle Van Eimeren so that he could marry Regine. The article was written by Ricky Lo who supposedly had a lawyer as his source. A day after the story came out, Ogie spoke out during his birthday celebration at SOP and asked the press to spare his family. He immediately denied the whole story and apologized to Regine for the incident.

However, the supposed denial of their relationship did not quickly die down as actions spoke louder than words. During the Star Awards ceremony in October, Regine and Ogie dedicated their awards to one another (Ogie won as Best Comedy Actor while Regine won as Best Talent Show Host). During the 2007 New Year celebration at Baywalk jointly sponsored by GMA Network and Tanduay, the two SOP co-hosts hugged and kissed one another. Recently, GMA talk show Showbiz Central dished out the latest news about the couple: they will be marrying this June. Neither Ogie nor Regine admitted the news until recently, when Ogie decided to tell all in an exclusive interview with Philippine magazine YES. In the 16-page interview in YES Ogie admitted he and former wife Michelle Van Eimeren have separated, while declaring that he loves Regine so much.

In 2007, a controversy sparked on the SOP set when Asia's songbird Regine Velasquez sang the lyrics of the Dream Girls' song "Listen" incorrectly. Reportedly, one of the staff members of SOP covered the teleprompter, meaning that Velasquez may not have seen the lyrics correctly thus paving her to sing incorrect lyrics such as "Listen, I am the one who leaves you", "And ????? to say what's on your mind", and "You've made me you know, cannot complete". After her performance she left the stage and walked off. Coincidentally, some clips of Ogie Alcasid nodding disappointingly but supportively are shown. Tons of criticism boomed, but Regine and SOP fans remain unperturbed by this nonsense issues. According to some fan clubs and critics, mishaps can happen, not only to Velasquez, but to other singers as well. Anyhow the next week, she silenced critics by singing the full version of the song flawlessly.

With the controversies surrounding the show and its cast members, the staff decided to make fun of it instead by creating a segment titled "Sobrang OJ Pare" where main hosts Ogie Alcasid and Janno Gibbs sing top hit songs with lyrics involving the hottest issues and poking fun at the personalities involved in it.