Actress Judy Ann Santos was in cloud nine while announcing the good news that her well-acclaimed film 'Ploning' was chosen as the country's official entry to the 2009 Oscar Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film category.
"Finalist for the Oscar's kung baga magiging representative ng Pilipinas... pero mahabang pagka-nerbiyos pa ito," Santos said.
It was during a meeting last Friday, August 29th when the Board of Governors of the Film Academy of the Philippines approved the selection of "Ploning" as the country's representative for the Oscar's.
"Actually yung masabi lang na magiging representative ng Pilipinas para mapa-billing sa Oscars ay sobrang kaligayahan na yon. Yung makasama ka sa 18 finalist ay bonggang bongga na yon, eh yung makasama ka sa lima -- napakabuting tao ko na siguro talaga. Magbre-breakdown siguro ako to the highest level," the actress added.
The film is the story of Ploning (Santos), a woman who is considered as the town's beauty who is torn between keeping her two promises -- one is to look for her greatest and first love Tomas in Manila or stay in Cuyo to take care of the young boy Rodrigo who depends on her motherly love and care.
Santos admitted that she learned a lot of things before and after shooting the film.
"Maraming bagay na nangyari sa amin. Marami kaming realization at marami kaming naging friends. At saka nagmature ako for some reason, bakit kaya? Parang bigla akong -- hindi naman tumanda, pero ang dami kong natutunan habang ginagawa ko itong movie na ito," she said.
Santos said that despite the problems that she is facing right now like her tax evasion case, she believes that God is giving her things that could also make her happy.
"Siguro ito ang naka-platapormang buhay ng 2008 para sa sa akin sabi ni Lord... madami ka namang kasong hinahawakan, bibigyan kita ng manaka-nakang kaligayahan," she said.
Santos is now battling legal problems after her petition to dismiss the tax evasion filed against her by the Bureau of Internal Revenue was denied by the Supreme Court.
In a 27-page decision penned by Justice Chico Nazario, Santos' petition to reverse the resolution of the Court of Tax Appeals last June 19, 2006 due to lack of merit was denied.
It will be remembered that the BIR filed a case against Santos for not declaring her income from her movie and product endorsements for the year 2002. According to one report, she has a P1.7 million tax liability.
Santos hopes that her tax case will come to an end. But she also said that she will respect the decision of the highest court.
"Kung ano ang mangyari sana ay matapos na, maayos na. Kung ano ang maging hatol ng Korte Suprema ay tatanggapin ko naman 'yon ng buong puso at buong loob at nirerespeto ko kung ano ang magiging opinion nila sa kaso ko wala naman akong tinalikurang problema noon pa," she said.
Santos said that she continues to keep calm and keeps praying so that God will help her in the face of her troubles.
Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=130004
