Mariel Rodriguez defends Willie Revillame from detractors

Mariel Rodriguez expressed her sadness for the Typhoon Ondoy victims during the press conference for Pinoy Big Brother Double Up. Mariel said that although she is thankful to God that her family and home were spared from the flood, she couldn’t help but be emotional about those who lost their loved ones and their homes in the calamity. She decided to help by donating some of her clothes and other things to ABS-CBN’s Sagip Kapamilya relief operation. “‘Yung clothing endorsement ko nagbigay sila ng P200,000 worth of clothes. Malaking tulong ‘yun. Gusto ko ngang kumuha sa (lingerie) store ng ate ko kasi people really need underwear, really!”

Mariel even shared a funny story about when she was packing some of the things she was giving away. The über-bubbly host did not notice that she had slipped a few brassiere pads into the bag. “Gumamit kasi ako sa Varga nung mga pads sa bra para magmukhang malaki ‘yung boobs ko. Hindi ko napansin na ‘yung mga pads nasama dun sa relief bag na hinanda ko. Nasabihan ako nung isang friend ko, ‘Ano ‘yan?! Bakit mo sila bibigyan niyan?! Ano gagawin nila diyan?!’ Inisip ko na lang na baka may mga bakla diyan na nawalan ng gamit. Kung gusto nilang magka-boobs e ‘di gamitin nila ‘yung pads na bigay ko. Sabi ko dun sa mga pinagbigyan ko kung ano man ‘yung hindi nila magagamit ibenta na lang nila. Nagbigay pa kasi ako ng mga shades at high heel shoes, ha ha ha! E ‘yun ang mga meron ako e, mga sinusuot ko sa Wowowee.”

Speaking of helping out the victims of the typhoon, her fellow Wowowee host Willie Revillame, together with Senator Manny Villar, had gone around the areas of Pasig, Cainta, and Marikina last Sunday, September 27, to distribute relief goods to the victims. This act of charity drew criticism from some camps who viewed it as just one of Willie’s ways of campaigning for the 2010 national elections, but Mariel was quick to defend her co-host. “I cannot blame them for thinking that since paparating nga naman ‘yung election. Hindi lang si Kuya Willie, pati ‘yung iba pinagiisipan na may halong politics ‘yung pagtulong nila. Si Ate Kris (Aquino) may mga nagsasabi na nangangampanya siya for Noynoy (Aquino). But now is not really the good time to be saying those things. We just need to work together para matulungan ‘yung napakadaming victims. ‘Yung mga ka-negahan next time niyo na lang sabihin ‘yan. Sa ngayon hindi naman makakatulong ‘yun e. I don’t think dapat tumigil si Kuya Willie dahil lang sinasabihan siyang nangangampanya. Wala na lang ganun.”

There were also negative reactions to Willie’s million-peso donation to Sagip Kapamilya, that it was a very small amount considering his huge talent fee from ABS-CBN and product endorsements. To this, Mariel said, “Kailan naging maliit ang isang milyon? Hindi lang naman ‘yun ang tulong na ginawa niya. Marami pa siyang tinutulungan kahit noon pa, hindi lang natin alam. Marami sa staff ng Wowowee ang nawalan ng bahay at tinulungan sila ni Kuya Willie. It’s unfair for him na i-judge natin siya. Dapat pasalamatan pa rin natin ‘yung tulong na ibinigay niya. At the end of the day walang maliit o malaking tulong ang importante ay sincere tayo sa pagtulong.”

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