Hot Issue: Erik Santos says he left Backroom and joined Star Magic. Boy Abunda says, Backroom fired Erik Santos, and then he joined Star Magic.

The story between Philippine’s Prince of Pop, Erik Santos and his former manager Boy Abunda and Backroom has taken another level on the hotness-barometer.

For a moment I thought we could settle this issue to the resolved cases archive, but it doesn’t look to head that way just yet.

Erik Santos: Left Backroom because Boy Abunda will give more time to his ailing Mother.

Noted in Erik’s website was that “it was a hard decision” for him to make, to move away from Backroom and join Star Magic. It was also noted there that, yes, nagkatampuhan sila ni Boy Abunda but everything settled into place after a while because they were able to talk about it.

That’s Erik Santos’ version of this intriguing story, here is what Boy Abunda has got to say.

Boy Abunda, on the other hand wrote an article about Erik Santos, in which he cites that “Erik Santos did not resign at Backroom, but was fired by Backroom”. That statement alone assumes to be a huge turning point and the rear opposite from what Erik Santos claims to be truthful.

Erik’s former Talent Manager, Boy Abunda carried on with his article, citing instances that displease him. Say, information he received from common friends about complaints raised by Erik Santos not only towards the Backroom, but towards himself as well.

At the end of the whole rebuttal to Erik Santos’ statements and news written on his official weblog, he notes that “I know that there is good in Erik Santos and that he is a good person. I have forgiven him already for these little mistakes” and such.

Now here are my five cents on this Erik Santos “fired” by Backroom Story.

The moment Boy Abunda started rebutting Erik Santos’ more personal concerns with Backroom was the moment his words on this issue lost credibility. I find it hard to believe that Erik Santos is the lone employee[1. in the latter paragraph, we point out that he isn’t technically an employee] of a Company who shared his unpleasant experiences/moments he had with his friends in private. Erik Santos did not wrote about it, he did not publicize it, he talked to that friend, whoever he or she may be in private.

It’s rubbish from Boy Abunda to say he has forgiven Erik Santos after he nailed him right on the wall with his rebuttal. For one, he criticizes Erik Santos for being perfectly human, for experiencing and sharing his unpleasant moments with people he worked with… and then tells the whole wide world he’s forgiving him.

Sure. I’d forgive Erik Santos too, because it’s just normal to raise your concerns to your friends, or am I living under a rock?

From Yahoo! User: Erik Santos was released, not fired.

Erik Santos was a talent at Backroom and not just another employed staff member. How can he be fired if he is not an employee? Indeed, Backroom may have helped in propelling Erik’s career upwards… but remember, they also make money out of him for rendering that “service”.

I’m very sceptic about Boy Abunda’s “forgiving sense” towards Erik Santos. He did more harm than good shouting out that he was fired. Of course, we all know now that released would not only have been a better term, but should have been the term used.

What are your thoughts?