GMA network statement on the USTv students' choice awards kick-off incident

Anne Curtis tweeted that she was not allowed by a GMA staff to go onstage in last night's USTv Students' Choice Awards kick-off.

Here is GMA's side of the story:

1. Prior to the event, network representatives had been briefed by the organizers/UST about the sequence of the programme. This was to be the  basis for arranging our artists' schedules and determining their call time   for the event.

2. Based on the schedule, GMA artists were supposed to perform at 7 pm.   Our talents were at the venue as early as 5 pm. Last-minute insertion of   ABS-CBN's Banana Split cast in the programme however further pushed back   the schedule.

3. Shortly before GMA's number, GMA representatives confirmed the programme sequence with organizers. We were told that the Kapuso artists  would be next. GMA was not aware nor informed by the organizers in any prior    meeting that Anne Curtis will be part of the program.

4. When the GMA artists were about to go on stage, Anne Curtis, her handler and a student organizer approached a GMA representative to ask if  she could go on stage first. However, GMA staff declined and instructed the floor director and production staff to please proceed with the programme sequence, as the Kapuso stars also had other schedules to go to, and by this time were already waiting for nearly three hours.

5. GMA later found out that Ms. Curtis had left the venue and had tweeted about the incident. Ms. Curtis posted a series of tweets which elicited a lot of negative reaction towards GMA. The fact is -- we were simply sticking to the programme sequence provided by the organizers themselves. We are certain Ms. Curtis had her own reasons for requesting to go onstage immediately, but the Kapuso artists also had their own respective schedules and had in fact been pushed back even prior to Ms. Curtis' request.

We are hoping that the organizers could come forward and clarify matters to avoid blowing things out of proportion. (GMA 7 Press Release)