Zsa Zsa Padilla: MVP Paid For Dolphy's Hospital Bills

Singer-actress Zsa Zsa Padilla, the long-time partner of comedy king Dolphy, thanked business magnate Manuel V. Pangilinan for helping them financially when Dolphy was confined at the hospital.

Zsa Zsa Padilla said MVP paid for the hospital bills of Dolphy, who was confined for a month at the intensive care unit of the Makati Medical Center before succumbing to multiple organ failure last Tuesday.

“Binayaran lahat ni Manny Pangilinan ang hospital bills namin. Napakabait niya,” she told entertainment talk show “Startalk.”

Padilla also thanked President Benigno Aquino III, who visited Dolphy’s wake at The Heritage Park in Taguig City on Thursday.

Aquino conferred the Grand Collar of the Order of the Golden Heart to Dolphy in 2011.

“Maraming, maraming salamat kay [President Aquino] sa tulong sa aming pamilya. Hindi namin makakalimutan ang presidential award na ibinigay niya kay Dolphy,” she said.

Aquino also declared July 13, 2012 as a National Day of Remembrance for the late comedy icon.

The 83-year-old Dolphy died on Tuesday after years of battling a lung disease.

His remains will be laid to rest on Sunday.

Source: ABS-CBN News

MVP Denies TV5-GMA7 Merger! Oops!

The issue of the “big merge” of GMA-7 and TV5 seems to be nonstop.

Ricky Lo wrote in his Funfare column in Philippine Star that the merger was confirmed by TV5’s big boss Manny V. Pangilinan himself during a presscon in San Francisco last Saturday, and that the merge will be launched end of November. (CLICK HERE for related story)

It was in the said San Francisco event where TV5 signed a partnership with Dish Network called Dish Ko ‘To. It promotes the combined channels of GMA Pinoy TV and Kapatid TV5 in the U.S. for better coverage. Dish is a satellite television provider in the U.S.

The Dish Ko ‘To project was perhaps the cause of the merger rumor that was picked up by The Philippine Star.

In a text to Arnell Ignacio, MVP clarified that all he did was to promote TV5 and GMA-7 as well because Dish also carries the network in the U.S. He also clarified that he didn’t say anything about a November deadline or any deadline at all.

The text reads: "you know arnel, all I said was-please support TV5 here in the States. And by the way, pls support GMA7 too (since Dish carries GMA), That was all. No mention of merger investment, combination. Certainly no mention of November deadline or any deadline at all. Suresome people speculated and all i said was I can now say we, re under discussion but nothing finalized at this time."

Meanwhile, GMA-7 released a statement regarding the said merger issue. The statement said that the Kapuso network has nothing to say about it because MVP has already clarified that he was just misquoted.

Below is the statement released by GMA-7.

“GMA Network is not in a position to comment on the article that came out in the Philippine Star today, June 4, 2012, regarding the reported merger of GMA Network and TV5 since we are not the source of the information.

“The said article attributed the information to Mr. Manny Pangilinan (MVP). To our knowledge, MVP has clarified that he was misquoted. We therefore suggest that anyone who wishes to verify may do so with MVP.”

Source

P60-B GMA Network Price Tag Not Worth the Price According to Manny Pangilinan

"Too expensive." describes TV5 Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan of the P60-billion price tag sought for rival GMA Network Inc.

MVP also downplays the possibility of his group to shell out double of what's GMA Network's market value now for full ownership of the broadcast company.

At the close of trading on Monday, listed GMA Network shares were priced at P9.40 each, valuing the company at P31.929 billion.

Pangilinan was supposed to have offered P45 billion for GMA Network, but the three families controlling the broadcast firm - the Duavits, Gozons, and Jimenezes - would sell for at least P60 billion.

Gilberto Duavit Jr., GMA Network president, said in a press release that they "are presently not in serious negotiations with the PLDT group as we have not yet received an offer price that is acceptable to us."

- Source