Pinoy Showbiz News : Bella Flores dies

Rest in peace, Bella Flores.

Bella Flores, the legendary screen villainess whose screeching voice, iconic demon-like stare and overpowering performance in movies and on TV made her one of most recognizable personalities in show business, died. She was 84.

Manila Bulletin reports that Flores was rushed into the Quezon City General Hospital due to shortness of death. She was eventually declared dead.

Imelda Papin, a close friend of the actress, revealed that she was still alive when they hastened her to the hospital. Papin was called up by Flores’s daughter, Ruby Arcilla, after her mother's blood pressure plummeted. While doctors tried their best to revive the ailing movie queen, all hopes eventually deemed.

While death of a celebrity is often treated with utter shock, everyone in the local entertainment industry has expected the passing of the screen legend. Last year, Flores’ daughter revealed her mother’s worsening condition. She had been suffering from diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease. Flores’ health was still robust until she accidentally slipped at her home. She lost her ability to walk after undergoing hip surgery. 

Flores was launched as a character player in Balaraw in 1950. The following year, she got her breakthrough as a villainness when she was cast as Tessie Agana’s harsh stepmother in Roberta (1951), then the country’s top box-office hit. Flores’ effectiveness in portraying cruel step moms, madams, villain roles made her the Philippine cinema’s queen of mean. Image credit: Manila Bulletin.