Sarah on spat with GMA: I am not treated well

YOUNG actress Sarah Lahbati fired back after mother network accused her of "walking out" during a shoot, saying she has not been “treated well” by GMA-7.

On Friday, GMA released a statement that Sarah walked out during a taping, causing the production team to pack-up and incur an additional cost of P500,000.

"It's stated there that they are still investigating if I should pay 500k because the taping got packed up ‘because of me.’ I just want to make it clear that I NEVER WALKED OUT in any of my work even if they are making me work for more than 24hrs in my past show,” she said on microblogging site Twitter.

Sarah explained that the "walkout" incident stated by GMA happened during a taping for a fantasy show, where she arrived an hour before the 5 p.m. shoot in Subic to finish her make-up and costume.

"I knew that we will be doing a lot of fight scenes that day and I wanted to be there early. When I arrived on set the producers asked me to change to my costume & do my makeup right away because it will be my turn to shoot soon. So I did prepare and changed to my costume,” she said.

Later, Sarah said the show's PA (production assistant) told her that the scene will be shot right after dinner. But the supposed evening taping was pushed to 4 a.m. the following day.

"From 5 p.m. to about 4 a.m. I waited and did my major fight scene that finished around 5 a.m.,” she said.

Sarah said GMA Artist Center booked her to appear in noontime show "Eat Bulaga" on that day which required her to be in the Studio by 8 a.m.

"I never walked out, I told the producers and PA that I need to go because I still had to travel back to Manila from Subic and be at Eat Bulaga studio by 8 a.m. I tried asking help from my handler to fix the schedule but my handler was not answering at that time,” she said.

"I did not leave the set; I waited for the producers to say that I can leave. I had permission to leave. This is the complete truth, for the people that are saying I walked out, I didn't, and I'm sure if you were in my position you will also talk to the producers to say that you cannot continue."

The actress believes the issue was blown out of proportion and it started when she refused to sign with ICONS Management, the talent agency that earlier offered her a co-management contract.

"A top executive of the network once promised me stardom if I sign a contract with ICONS management, just because I didn't sign this is what I get,” she said.

"I am not treated well and I haven't been treated well. In layman's term, 'I'm treated like SH*T"."

The 19-year-old said she can no longer tolerate the supposed bullying of GMA.

"There's only so much I can take from all this bullying. I don't owe GMA any money, in fact they still owe me. I finished filming a movie called Basement under GMA films, we started around August-early September,” she said.

"We would shoot the movie for about 16 hours or more, we've been done since mid November, until now I still haven't been paid. Not even a downpayment. My mother asked my handler many times regarding the payment and until now there is no reply.”

Sarah said there are more similar incidents but she chose not to elaborate.

"I feel like I am fighting a giant when all I'm doing is telling the truth,” she said.

"I know that there's a lot people out there who doesn't understand what I'm going through. People are saying na bakit ako nagrereklamo... baka lumaki na ang ulo ko at yumabang... Hindi po ako nagrereklamo, bakit naman ako magyayabang? Wala naman akong ipagyayabang."

"Hindi ako sikat. I know my status in this industry. I'm just a rookie who loves my craft. I have been accused and mistreated. I am forced to fight back and defend myself with the truth. I know that God sees all things."

Sarah earlier said she will be going to Switzerland for vacation and continue her studies. She is now co-managed by Royal Artist owned by Annabelle Rama, mother of boyfriend Richard Gutierrez.

In response to Sarah’s tweets, GMA maintained that Sarah violated her contract for deciding to take a break from showbiz despite her pending commitments. As for the walk-out incident, the network is still investigating the issue.

"We welcome Sarah’s denial that she walked out from that taping and her denial will expedite the action(s) we will take depending on the result of our investigation because there will no longer be any need to ask her to explain," it said.

GMA refused to comment on other allegations posted by Sarah on her Twitter account. It said that Sarah was developed, trained and promoted by the network. (Sunnex)