UST clarifies sched conflict between Anne Curtis, GMA Network

Organizers of the USTv Students' Choice Awards Kick Off Party has released a statement clarifying the issue between actress Anne Curtis and GMA Network, saying the confusion regarding the invited celebrities' schedules occurred "unintentionally." In the statement dated Nov. 14, the Office of the Secretary General from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) said the event had a program with a pre-determined sequence, but last-minute adjustments were inevitable. "We regret any misunderstanding or confusion that may have occurred unintentionally and caused inconvenience to some. We pray and hope that all parties can move on and continue with our common commitment of promoting positive values in the mass media," part of the statement read. On Thursday evening last week, Anne Curtis vented on her Twitter account, saying that staff members from GMA Network did not allow her to go onstage at the USTv party held earlier that night. The actress, who earlier announced on her account that she was going to perform at the USTv party, was a no-show onstage. "Thomasians, I'm sorry I had to leave na. I tried to at least get up on stage and say hi kahit 2 minutes lang but GMA staff didn't want," she said on Twitter. "(GMA) didn't want na mauuna ako sa artists nila... I tried to negotiate and say hindi na lang ako kakanta, hi lang," she added. "It's just sad that I was already about to get on stage, as in by the stairs na. Kasi nauna ako dun before the GMA Artists were there... tapos pinigilan nila..." But on Friday, GMA Network released its statement, saying that GMA representatives at the USTv event were told that the GMA artists were up next, and the GMA reps were not aware nor informed by the organizers that Anne Curtis will be part of the program. "GMA staff declined and instructed the floor director and production staff to please proceed with the programme sequence, as the Kapuso stars also had other schedules to go to, and by this time were already waiting for nearly three hours," GMA Network said in a statement. "We are certain Ms. Curtis had her own reasons for requesting to go onstage immediately, but the Kapuso artists also had their own respective schedule and had in fact been pushed back even prior to Ms. Curtis' request," the statement said. "We are hoping that the organizers could come forward and clarify matters to avoid blowing things out of proportion." GMA News Online is publishing UST's full statement below:

OFFICIAL STATEMENT The University of Santo Tomas, together with all its students, deeply appreciate the enthusiastic participation of the television networks during the 8th USTv Students' Choice Awards Kick Off Party held on 10 November 2011 at the Plaza Mayor of the university. We especially thank the celebrities from different television networks who generously took time out of their hectic schedules to join the Kick Off Party. The event featured a program with a pre-determined sequence aimed at giving all the celebrities in attendance ample time to meet or to perform before the Thomasian audience. Since the TV networks normally cannot declare the exact number of talents who would be able to come, last minute adjustments were inevitable, subject, however, to mutual agreement of the concerned parties. We regret any misunderstanding or confusion that may have occurred unintentionally and caused inconvenience to some. We pray and hope that all parties can move on and continue with our common commitment of promoting positive values in the mass media. After all, it is for this that the USTv Students' Choice Awards came into being. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL University of Santo Tomas — RSJ, GMA News