MANILA, Philippines?The Katipunan ng mga Artista ng Pelikulang Pilipino at Telebisyon (KAPPT) picked 15 new board members in elections held Dec. 27 at the Mowelfund compound in Quezon City.

Elected were Gina Alajar, Tirso Cruz III, Jestoni Alarcon, Joko Diaz, Patrick de la Rosa, Rez Cortez, Dick Israel, Pol Pepito, Amay Bisaya, Baldo Marro, Rey Solo, Vic Felipe, Lyn Madrigal, Phillip Salvador and ER Ejercito, who is the current president.

This month

They will meet again within the month to choose the guild?s six officers?president, chair of the board, vice president for internal and external affairs, secretary and treasurer?from among themselves.

Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla, both guild members, are rooting for Salvador as president.

?Like Daboy?

Estrada told Inquirer that Salvador ?is very capable.? He said Salvador, known in the industry as ?Ipe,? has all the necessary qualifications. ?[I believe] he can motivate and inspire the members to bring the guild back to prominence.?

?Ipe can assume the presidency; ER, the chairmanship of the board,? Revilla said. ?As of now, Ipe has the numbers to win the post,? he pointed out.

Revilla also compared Salvador to his good friend and former KAPPT president, Rudy Fernandez, who passed away last year.

?Ipe is just as hard-working and dedicated as Daboy (Fernandez). I witnessed just how committed Ipe could be when he served as vice president for external affairs under Daboy?s presidency in the early 1990s, when I myself was chair.?

It seems Salvador?s work is cut out for him. Both Estrada and Revilla vowed to support all of his projects, if he became guild president.

Housing

Revilla said, ?Ipe intends to prioritize a housing program for marginalized movie workers. In our capacity as senators, Jinggoy [can help].?

Salvador told the Inquirer that the board members have scheduled the election of new officers on Jan. 17.

Bayani San Diego Jr.