THE IMPENDING FACE-OFF BEtween Vic Sotto?s comedy film ?Ang Darling Kong Aswang? and Dolphy?s ?Nobody, Nobody But Juan? in this year?s Metro Manila Film Festival is not about to strain the two comedians? friendship.

?Iba na ang level ng pagmamahalan namin,? Vic said during a media gathering. ?Whatever intrigues have been created because of our movies mean nothing to us.?

Vic and Dolphy first worked together in 2008, on the Tony Reyes comedy film, ?Dobol Trobol.? In Dolphy?s MMFF movie, he is a die-hard fan of ABS-CBN?s ?Wowowee,? main competitor of GMA 7?s ?Eat Bulaga,? where Vic is one of the hosts.

?I saw an interview where Dolphy said he felt sad about not being able to promote his movie on ?Bulaga.? He will never ask me that favor,? said Vic.

He added: ?But wherever and whenever Dolphy promotes his movie, he also promotes mine. I do the same when I answer questions about his film. We don?t see each other as rivals; neither do I consider the other festival entries as competitors. Dolphy and I are allies in the sense that we both want viewers to have a good laugh.?

In ?Ang Darling Kong Aswang,? Vic plays Victor, a mortal who falls in love with an aswang named Eliza (Cristine Reyes). Eliza is pressured to marry Joaquin (Rafael Rosell), another aswang. But she refuses and escapes, and lives in the city, where she eventually meets Victor, a widower with two daughters.

Also in the cast is controversial comedian Ritchie D' Horsie, who was released from prison just over a year ago after serving five years for possession of illegal drugs. Ritchie said Vic and the latter?s elder brother, former senator Tito Sotto, shelled out the P120,000 bail bond for Ritchie?s release.

?Prison life has changed Ritchie? for the better,? said Vic. ?His jail warden has only good words for him.?

?Ang Darling Kong Aswang,? directed by Tony Reyes, also features Jean Garcia and Agot Isidro.