It happened a long time ago but comedian Joey de Leon remembered how he stopped and closed a weekly TV program due to latecomers on the set several years ago.
De Leon made the revelation during the grand media conference for the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival movie "My Teacher" held at the Winford Hotel in Manila on Monday, Dec. 12.
"Yung ibang artista nag-aaway dahil late yung isa. Wala sa akin yang mga kuwento na yan. Ako matindi. Pag may nale-late, nilalayasan ko yung show. Pinapasara ko," said De Leon.
(The other stars fight because the other one was late. I don't have those stories. Mine is different. When someone is late, I leave the show. I stop the show.)
He continued: "Noong araw may show ako yung T.O.D.A.S. sa Channel 13. Bakit natigil yun? Dahil sa akin. Nagalit ako dahil na-late yung ibang cast. Sabi ko tigilan na natin ito. So pinatigil ko yung show. Hindi naman nila magawa na wala ako."
(Before, I had a show called T.O.D.A.S. on Channel 13. Why was it stopped? Because of me. I was angry because the other cast was late. I said let's stop it. So I stopped the show. They couldn't do it without me.)
De Leon advised his fellow stars to inform the office or anyone on the set if they would be coming late.
"Ang importante ngayon pag-na-late ka, lalo na ngayon may cellphone naman, tatawag ka lang. Ma-le-late ako.
(The important thing now is when you're late, especially now that there's a cellphone, you just call. I'll be late.)
"Kasi yung ibang artista sinungaling. Nasaan ka na? Pagtinanong mo nandito na ako sa EDSA. Pero actually nasa Bulacan pa yun.
(Some stars are liars. Where have you been? When you asked I was already on EDSA. But actually it's still in Bulacan.)
"Tutoo ito. Seryoso ako. So tatawag ka lang. (This is true. I'm serious. You just call.)
"Yung nangyari kasi noon sa T.O.D.A.S., may nakarating sa akin, nag-date lang pala 'yung iba. E hindi tumawag. Wala pang cellphone nun. Puwede naman sila tumawag sa opisina. Ako kasi ang aga ko lagi sa set," said De Leon.
(What happened at T.O.D.A.S., someone told me, the others just went on a date. They didn't call. They could have called the office. I'm always the first person on set.)
De Leon however said he did not encounter any problems on the sets of programs "Iskul Bukol" and "Eat Bulaga."
"So ayun, pinasara ko. Sabi ko, 'tama na, tigilan na natin ito. Wala ng taping next week," he added.
(So, I stopped the show. I said, 'that's enough, let's stop this. There will be no taping next week.)
Asked about the other things he wanted to do in life now that he's 76, De Leon said: "Wala na akong gusto pang mangyari sa career ko. Mas gusto ko ng makilala ako ngayon bilang writer kesa artista."
(I don't want anything else to happen in my career. I'd rather be known as a writer than an actor.)
"My Teacher," starring Toni Gonzaga and Joey de Leon, will be shown beginning Christmas Day.