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Hi guys! Like all of you...I've been missing HERO a lot lately 'because he is not that visible on television, except during interviews on news and talk shows. To keep you all updated on what's happening with our fave Star Circle Quest winner...below are the latest news about him.</span>
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Hero speaks up Part 1
The Daily Tribune
By Alwin M. Ignacio, Contributor
Friday, 08 19, 2005</span>
There is no denying that every square-inch of Hero Angeles is a star. His innocent-looking face is quite captivating. In fact, he can easily eclipse his look-alike, the fabulous Vic Zhou of F4 fame. He has a set of beguiling, rounded doe-eyes, and a pair of perfectly placed dimples. When he flashes his signature smile, he can only be described as a "beautiful boy." And, yes, this a compliment. The very first ABS-CBN Star Circle Grand Questor (which was the Kapamilya network's counter-attack to GMA 7's ultra-phenomenal Star Struck) is in the midst of a professional tempest and this interview will give readers and his legions of fans the chance to know his version of the truth.
A star risesPeople became aware of Hero Angeles' stellar presence during the talent search which was produced by ABS-CBN. Fans and supporters of the show were practically glued to their TV sets wondering who would be the ultimate Questor.
Hero recalls, "Honestly, when the announcement came, parang wala ako sa sarili ko. In a way, I was in shock. There was so much shouting kasi. Hero-San! Hero-San! It took quite awhile before the reality of me winning really hit me. I actually cried when my family went up on stage."
And does he now know what made him win? "What made me win? I guess it's my charisma. That time, nagustuhan ako ng tao kasi I had a very striking resemblance with Vic Zhou of F4. Alam ko naman that if they based it on my talent at that time, mukhang matatagalan pa iyon. (He smiles). Eventually, I think the people were able to appreciate the things I did. They saw kung sino talaga ako. Na-inspire ko ang ibang tao."
Naturally, Hero was paired immediately with Sandara Park. They became a staple in several musical variety shows, an afternoon teenage drama-comedy series, a fantaserye and two box-office hit movies. "Natuwa siguro sila sa itsura namin. I think it is because we complement each other physically. We were like a pair taken from a Chinovela. We were always seen together so that started the Hero-San thing. Also, I think we had good chemistry."
How was his working relationship with Sandara? "Working relationship? Meron ba? " He laughs. "Mahirap din because iba yung culture niya and iba rin ang gusto niya. We all know naman who she likes. Noong una okay pa. Kaya ko pa. I could still stretch my patience. As time progressed, though, it was becoming difficult to work with her.... We had our share of fights kahit during the contest pa lang. Our fighting was a common occurrence. Ilang araw na hindi nag-uusap, tapos bati agad. And you know, she does not make any effort to patch up the difference. I guess it's her way of asserting her desire to be famous and popular. For the sake of the fans lang talaga kaya ko siya binabati."
The disclosure of the relationship between Sandara and Joseph Bitangcol was a big relief for Hero. He doesn't mind the revelation although he thinks, "Dapat sabay na nila inaamin. Sana rin nagpagsabi sila. You know, I was trying to protect our love-team. A lot of fans were asking me then why I wasn't courting her. I always tell them ayaw kasi ng nanay. It didn't feel right naman to admit that she was with somebody else during those times. Ang problema, they were always seen together even when our team-up was still intact. When they were asked about their relationship, of course, they had no choice but to deny it. In a way, I think our love-team was hurt, most especially the fans who were rooting for us. Although yung iba, hanggang ngayon ay Hero-San pa din."
Hero'S fallHero seems unperturbed about the issues he currently faces, considering these are not for the faint-hearted. An ordinary 20-year-old would not be comfortable trading places with him and wearing his shoes. These days, he wages a battle against his home network and a widely-read entertainment columnist.
In one newspaper article, it was reported that Deo Edrinal, vice president for Talk, Variety and Game of the ABS-CBN Entertainment Group, wanted to meet with him and discuss his career plans. Hero and his brother, however, requested that their lawyer be present in the meeting. Edrinal did not acquiesce to this condition and nothing tangible materialized with the initial talks.
"Sir Deo Edrinal is one of the vice-presidents of the network. My career is being handled by Star Magic. So, I guess it's only proper that as far as my career is concerned, I must be only speaking the terms and conditions with Mr. M (Johnny Manahan). If he has plans for me, the appropriate course he should have taken was to present the proposal firstly to Mr. M. He first met with my Kuya (Henry, his elder brother), I wasn't there in the meeting. I got to see and review the proposal he offered and didn't like it because there was a catch," Hero says.
The professional rift with his network is obviously doing his career harm. Hero is now rarely seen on television, there are no projects crystallizing in the horizon, and he is what showbiz kibitzers are describing as a "frozen delight."
"I am confused," Hero reveals. "Nalilito ako sa kanila. Parang nangangapa ako. I don't know why they are not doing anything to communicate with me. Ako pa ang nangangamusta sa road manager/handler ko. If I ask them about this situation, they cannot give me definite answers. Basta ako tuloy ako sa buhay. Ako, hindi ako tulad ng ibang artista na magpapaka-showbiz. I just have to be myself. I am product of a reality-based contest and I am as real as I can be."
The young man also wonders why there seems to be a concerted effort on his network's part to stop him from his expressing his opinions. He relates: "I want to give them the benefit of the doubt regarding that, although parang pinipigil nga nila akong magsalita. Before kasi, if people requested for interviews, they immediately granted it. Ngayon kasi, kagaya ng pinagdaanan mo, dapat may consent from Mr. M, eh wala naman pala siya. Maybe there is a new policy right now, which I'm not aware of, but there are some things that cannot wait."
Is a meeting with Mr. Manahan in the foreseeable future, which might be the answer to end his predicament, transpiring soon? "None. The only letters we get from them are from the Legal Department. Dati, fan letters lang ang natatanggap ko, ngayon nadagdagan na. These are letters stating that we cannot grant interviews to entertainment shows from the other network."
He laments: "I feel bad about this because I feel they have no right to curtail my freedom to express myself. What is wrong with that? This letter came after I filed my counter-affidavit. May mga media doon sa court house. Nandoon naman ang crew ng TV Patrol and Star Talk, andun din ang The Buzz. It was just that the reporters of TV Patrol did not arrive on time. So, I guess, fault nila iyon na that they were not there. Yung Buzz footage kinunan nila yung kinukunan din ng Star Talk and then they aired it earlier. Then, sa TV Patrol, they used the wrong headline. They were misleading the people to believe that I wanted to make amends. Kawawa naman ang mga tao who got to watch it because what they reported was wrong."
During the course of the interview, Hero admits that the Star Magic's head honcho does not like his brother. This fact is a shared opinion by majority of the writers who know the entertainment industry well. They say the one person to blame for Hero's fall from grace is his brother, who acts as his co-manager.
Hero confirms: "Yes. Mr. M does not like my brother. Pag nagkikipag-usap siya sa akin, he always emphasizes, 'only you.' But I always bring him along and it irks him. He has a right to be in all the meetings because he functions as my co-manager. They hate him and I don't know why. He has become a victim of so many tags - stage brother, mukhang pera, then into a measly termite. I feel bad about all these because even if I defend him to death, the negative write-ups continue and, of course, people will believe what they want to believe. Right now, with all the things that are circulating, I just laugh it all off."
Is he willing to talk with Mr. M without the presence of his brother to finally put an end to this impasse? "Yes. Thrice na kong naki-pag-usap it's just that they really don't like my brother to continue functioning as a co-manager. As a co-manager kasi, he gets to have a say in all the matters concerning me. Binubusisi niya kasi talaga. I don't see anything wrong if my brother asks questions especially if it has something to do with the way my career is being handled. Saka, I believe managing a person's career is something that you learn as you go on. Yes, they may offer me more experienced people. That is their choice and it is also my choice to stick it out with my brother."
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Hero speaks up *part 2*
The Daily Tribune
By Alwin M. Ignacio, Contributor
Friday, 08 19, 2005</span>
..........That is their choice and it is also my choice to stick it out with my brother."
Crucified?Most recently, Hero filed a libel case against entertainment columnist and talk-show host Cristy Fermin. It is already in the hands of the court and this fact left me with no choice but to ask him about his feelings towards Fermin instead and not discuss the suit. Is he close with the Ms. Fermin? "No!" he retorts.
Do you think you have to bestow her a certain amount of gratitude since she might have helped you in your career when you were just starting? "I don't think so. She used to write good things about me and my Kuya always made sure that we thanked her. Okay naman noon although let me state that we are not friends and we are definitely not close. I just don't know what triggered her to make all these write-ups against me."
The personal opinions written by Fermin in a tabloid might be amusing and entertaining to some, but others might consider them vicious and quite derogatory. "She has no reason to do this," Hero says. "Whatever are her ulterior motives, I am positive that she can no longer pinpoint what drove her to write all the things she wrote. You know, this incident made me want to become a writer. Para naman I can write about my side. Titirahin ko din siya. Series din, pero editorial cartoons." He smiles naughtily and presses on: "Honestly, I am trying my best to understand that it is part of her job. She claims that what she writes comes from her heart, may pinangagalingan, and then you'll read, 'base sa aking impormante.' Maybe it's her heart that gives her all the information she needs. Sana naman mapakilala niya ang impormante niya. Sabi niya wala siyang galit sa akin, but when you read her columns, she seems to be expressing otherwise."
He declares: "Masama ang loob ko sa kanya. Hindi lang ang loob pati labas. At first, I was just trying to ignore all the things that she was writing because I was sure there would come a time that she would stop it, but she did not. I even chronologically arranged all the stories that she wrote and pantay-pantay ang nararamdaman kong inis sa lahat ng isinulat niya."
Can he face her? "I can face her, why not, but what is there to fix? She keeps on saying that her door is open for reconciliation. Ako din naman, bukas ang pinto ko...para sa iba." Hero sighs. "I just don't see the logic why people are saying that this is the price I have to pay for being successful. Must an actor be pulled this low and just bear all the negative write-ups quietly? Para ba ma-redeem ko ang sarili ko, I will apologize to someone who had hurt and insulted me?"
What has he learned from this experience so far? "That showbiz is like a masukal na gubat. They keep on saying that showbiz is a rotten industry and being relatively new, I must say I am experiencing it firsthand. Also, not all the people you meet in this industry deserve your trust. You must discern carefully who are the real ones from the fakes. I'm really grateful to the support of my family. Pero sa Kapamilya ko, wala!" He smiles bitterly after this remark.
Recent events in Angeles career: a scheduled TV hosting/guesting for an afternoon gossip program was cancelled at the last minute; a show in a provincial mall was also ordered stopped.
Hope springs eternal With a lot of free time in his hands, Angeles is back in school as a third year-irregular Fine Arts student in UP Diliman. He admits feeling a little intimidated during this first few days in school because he didn't know how his classmates regarded him. He says he enjoys the congenial atmosphere in the university. He also busies himself with provincial shows and other worthwhile activities.
Hero talks about the other valuable lessons from his recent experiences. "If you say something, be man enough to stick with what you said. Be truthful and let us stop perpetuating lies. It made me stronger and more mature. It helped me to manage my life quite well. It made me appreciate the value of sincerity and honesty. It made me assert my right to protect myself from abuse. Whatever situation I'm in right now, kung ano mang gusot ito, alam kong kaya kong unatin. I know how to fight my battles and assert the truth."
His message to his fans: "I thank them for all their support. I am happy that they are there for me." And what does he think will the future bring to him, say, two years from now? Hero replies: " Well, I guess I'll have a new contract by that time, pero baka hindi na sa kanila." He laughs. "In case I decide to stay with them, everything must be right by that time."
Hero's so very sweet. Sandara was reported to be hospitalized due to fever and over-fatigue while shooting scenes of SCQ Reload. :kao Hero went along at the hospital to make sure that Sandy would be fine and also to take care of her... :yay: 
Oh, Lee Jae Jin said that Sandy is "cute, kind and pretty."
" Hehehe! 
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