Gelli De Belen Back With GMA-7 In 'Ika-5 Utos', A Drama About Infidelity And Murder Directed By Laurice Guillen, Co-Starring Jean Garcia & Valerie Concepcion

GELLI DE BELEN is back with GMA-7 where she did a long running talk show, “Sis”, with sister Janice and Carmina Villaroel. Janice and Carmina were the first to return in their respective Kapuso primetime soaps. Now, Gelli plays one of the lead roles in “Ika-5 Utos”.

“It’s good to be back,” she says at the show’s presscon on Monday night. “I’m so thankful they welcomed be back warmly. At katrabaho ko pa rito ang niece ko, si Inah. And I get to work again with Director Laurice Guillen na siyang very first director ko. I was only 4 years old when I appeared in my first movie, ‘Kasal’, first directorial job ni Direk Laurice. Flower girl ako sa kasal. 1980 yun, then we worked together again in ‘Apoy sa Puso’ for Viva with Dawn Zulueta in 1992 na, tapos ngayon lang ulit.”

No doubt Director Laurice Guillen’s “Ika-6 na Utos” is one of GMA-7’s biggest hits in their Afternoon Prime. So it’s not a surprise that she’s back in the same time slot with “Ika-5 Utos” (Thou Shalt Not Kill), which is replacing “Contessa” starting this September 10, right after “Eat Bulaga”. The show truly has a big powerhouse cast led by three strong women. Aside from Gelli as Kelly Manupil, also in the cast are Jean Garcia as Eloisa Lorenzo and Valerie Concepcion as Clarisse Buenaventura.

They plays three close friends whose friendship will be destroyed by betrayal. Jean is married to Neil Ryan Sese as Angelo Lorenzo and their son is Jeric Gonzales as Jeffrey. Valerie is married to Tonton Gutierrez as Nardo Buenaventura and their children are Kiko Rodriguez as Leo, Migo Adecer as Francis and Klea Pineda as Candy. Kelly is married to Antonio Aquitania as Benjie and their son is Jake Vargas as Carlo, with Inah de Belen as Jake’s battered girlfriend, Daniella.

The first conflict in the story happens when Jean and Tonton discover that their respective spouses, Valerie and Neil, are having an affair. During a confrontation, Valerie eventually causes Neil’s accidental death. The second conflict occurs when Kiko is killed in a hazing incident where the frat master who punished him is Jake Vargas, who hates him so much because Jake is jealous after seeing him with Inah. But it is Jeric who gets accused of being the guilty party in Kiko’s sudden demise.

“Napakaganda ng material,” says Gelli. “So when they offered it to me, yes agad ako. Very complicated ang emotions involved in all the characters kaya sure akong susubaybayan na naman ito ng mga tao.”

Direk Laurice says this is much harder to do than “Ika-6 na Utos”. “This is much bigger kasi sa Ika-6, there were only 3 major characters in the story involving infidelity. E, ito, hindi lang infidelity but also murder ang tina-tackle. And there are three different families involved so mas maraming characters. As a director, mas marami kang artistang iga-guide, lalo na among the younger stars, unlike sa Ika-6 na alam na nina Gabby, Sunshine at Ryza ang gagawin.”
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