Polibiz
Amparo Muñoz, a victim
I came across an article the other day written by one of my favorite columnists Ricardo F. Lo of The Philippine Star dealing on the Miss Universe 1974 Amparo Muñoz's whereabouts.
A flashback immediately brought me back down to memory lane when more than thirty summers ago I had the rare opportunity to work with this very remarkable woman whom I admired since the start of our shooting day.
Amparo was then hired by Cinesuerte Inc. owned by Mr. Ben Yalung, more popularly known in the local film industry as M-1 as one of the lead stars in "Hayop Sa Ganda," the other was our very own Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz with the late Vic Vargas as the leading man.
My eldest brother Hernan Robles was commissioned as the Production Manager hence the reason for my involvement in the project to work as a talent coordinator and sometimes as unofficial assistant to Art Director Dennis Cid.
"Hayop Sa Ganda," was the directorial debut in 1983 of Prof. Jonas Sebastian, a respected theater director in the University of the Philippines who just like any other artists of his kind was notorious for having a volcanic temper when provoked. He regularly appears as a part time character actor in local movies then.
Once during a location shooting at the Celebrity Sports Complex Plaza in Quezon City, Jonas released his legendary temper when Gloria Diaz failed to show up at the scheduled time for her call. I saw Jonas screaming at the top of his voice already getting impatient for the delay caused by the "cold war" between Gloria and Amparo perhaps due to professional jealousy if not an outright cultural differences.
Since Day-One of the shooting we observed that the two former Miss Universe were not good at each other.
Once, Amparo requested a service vehicle from the producer to pick her up to and fro for convenience at the duration of her shooting schedule in Metro Manila.
Upon learning of the request Gloria with a green eye made the same appeal, and her wish was granted instantly.
While Gloria was given a decent service vehicle, Amparo was given a dilapidated one degrading her status as a former Miss Universe.
Surprisingly, Amparo never howled a word of complaint though she already felt being treated poorly by the production outfit. I could sense she was silently revolting inside.
Amparo seldom speaks English, if ever she does; she speaks in staccato rhythm. Being a true-blooded Spanish though, she is more at home in her native language for obvious reason.
At one point in time, Gloria and Amparo had a violent verbal clash in the middle of the shooting believed to be instigated by her talent manager Natalie Palanca who at the same time, if my memory serves me right, was commissioned Line Producer of the project; in essence Natalie calls the shots.
Amparo would sometimes share her frustrations to some members of the production staff whom she has gradually developed with fondness and mutual respect.
In her account, she was offered an indecent proposal to sleep with some very rich and influential businessmen and politicians in the country, on which outright she refused keeping her decency intact.
For Amparo it was a big insult, more so she was physically accompanied by her boyfriend who also serves as her manager for the said project.
This has caused further hostility between her co-star and Natalie Palanca whom we suspect as the object of her ire.
A day before her last shooting day, Amparo made a special request from the producer not to let Natalie show up at the location.
Stubbornly, Natalie came in defiance.
While Amparo was finishing her last final scene with Gloria, Natalie kept on clapping and singing at a hearing distance distracting and provoking her in the process.
As soon as the director shouted his final cut, Amparo quickly went to the direction of Natalie purposely to confront her.
At this juncture Natalie was already riding in her car in an attempt to escape sensing the Spanish señorita would make a scene.
Unfortunately for Natalie, Amparo was able to grab her hair while the car in slow motion was driving out from the façade. This has given Amparo a better opportunity to release her rage as she kept slapping and strangling Natalie who failed to fight back at the amusement of the people around.
This resulted to Amparo’s deportation after she was held "captive" for a few days upon the request and intervention of Joseph Estrada, then mayor of San Juan, whom every Dick and Harry in the local movie industry knows was too close with the former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz.
Amparo then was declared persona non-grata by the government, yet at the same time was never given a fair chance to air her side of the story.
Unknown to a lot of us, Amparo was actually a victim of a rotten government. This is the real score.
(For your feedback and suggestions, please mail to: roblesnelson@yahoo.com)