Kapuso head writer Suzette Doctolero dismissed netizens’ claims that the original plot of Maria Clara at Ibarra was a romance between lead characters Klay (Barbie Forteza) and Crisostomo Ibarra (Dennis Trillo).
In a tweet on Tuesday, January 24, Doctolero debunked KlayBarra shippers’ views that the reimagined Noli Me Tangere story will be about the love angle between Ibarra and the disruptor Klay.
According to her, they [indeed] explored the infatuation angle between Klay and Ibarra, but it was only a phase they needed to add to humanize the story. But it was never the original plot of the reimagined story because they wanted to stick to Noli Me Tangere‘s original plot.
“Saan kaya nakuha na ang original na kwento ng reimagined ay KlayBarra? Yes we explored yung thread na nagka crush si Klay kay Ibarra kasi sino bang hindi? Pero hindi iyan ang kwento! Dinaanan lang iyan. Ang takbo ng orig na plot ay kung ano ang mga naganap! Walang binago!”
Saan kaya nakuha na ang original na kwento ng reimagined ay KlayBarra? Yes we explored yung thread na nagka crush si Klay kay Ibarra kasi sino bang hindi? Pero hindi iyan ang kwento! Dinaanan lang iyan. Ang takbo ng orig na plot ay kung ano ang mga naganap! Walang binago! https://t.co/9KFNRfLDdz
— Suzette Doctolero (@SuziDoctolero) January 23, 2023
Maria Clara at Ibarra suffered a decline in viewership when it showed the romance angle of Klay and Ibarra.
MCAI registered its lowest rating since its pilot at 12.3% on November 11.
Several netizens also criticized the show at the time, arguing that Ibarra’s core character is sacred to the story and allowing romance between them to brew was a “crime.”
“gma destroying crisostomo ibarra’s image of faithfulness and loyalty. if u gonna do that, u shouldn’t have touched noli and went on with a hisfic time traveling story of your own. noli has so many symbolisms that are too SACRED to be distorted. #MariaClarraatIbarra,” @inyongamiga tweeted.
https://twitter.com/inyongamiga/status/1584916951742447617
@pandaypia wrote, “Alam naming mahilig kayo sa mga main character na kabet, but pleaseeeeee, wag naman sa maria clara at ibarra just once char.”
Alam naming mahilig kayo sa mga main character na kabet, but pleaseeeeee, wag naman sa maria clara at ibarra just once
char— pia (@pandaypia) October 25, 2022
Meanwhile, in a subsequent tweet, Doctolero appealed to netizens to stop pushing for the KlayBarra plot twist. She then joked about just printing the personalized calendar of Juancho Trivino, who plays the role of Padre Salvi.
“Tigilan na ang mga di totoong tsismis ukol sa KlayBarra, mag print na lang kayo ng kalendaryo. Hahahahahahaha.”
Tigilan na ang mga di totoong tsismis ukol sa KlayBarra, mag print na lang kayo ng kalendaryo. Hahahahahahaha. https://t.co/GQHc5vpu5O
— Suzette Doctolero (@SuziDoctolero) January 23, 2023
