MANILA, Philippines--Did Regine Velasquez plan to leave GMA 7? Yes, it turned out. But how and why?
According to a GMA 7 insider, Regine Velasquez was being enticed to join rival network ABS-CBN, with the lead role in the local version of the Latin soap ?Betty La Fea? as bait.
Regine?s sister/manager Cacai Velasquez told Rushes that Regine, up till late Sunday, was considering it. The exact words used were, Regine had yet to decide.
Hmm. Was that the reason she cried while singing with Jaya in last Sunday?s ?SOP??
Prior to that, the strong speculation was that she had been upset that she didn?t land the ?Pinoy Idol? hosting gig, which went to Raymond Gutierrez.
Fueling the rumor was that, for the past two weeks, Regine had been guesting in Kapamilya shows like ?Sharon? and ?The Buzz.? This week, she is appearing in ?Maalaala Mo Kaya.?
Monday morning, she kissed and made up with her Kapuso bosses.
Hmm uli.
Let her Vi
Actress and Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos has it all figured out. The only solution to graft and corruption is, ?We all have to change!?
More from Gov. Vi tomorrow.
Isabel in Bollywood
Singer-actress Isabel Granada sent an e-mail to Rushes announcing that she is currently shooting a Bollywood flick, ?Pirate?s Blood,? in Oman.
The adventure film top-bills Salim Bahwan and Mamoona Al Balushi of Oman. ?Big stars in their country,? Isabel wrote.
Valentine getaway
While filming Dante Nico Garcia?s ?Ploning? in Cuyo, Palawan, Judy Ann Santos was accompanied by boyfriend Ryan Agoncillo, who took behind-the-scenes photos throughout the shoot.
The couple spent some time in an exclusive and expensive resort on the island.
Good news for Gina
Good news comes in pairs for Judai?s ?Ploning? co-star Gina Pareño: 1) Her doctor just told her that her biopsy for cancer had come back negative; 2) She is top-billing another ?pang-international? film, ?Serbis,? with acclaimed director Dante Mendoza.
Like father ...
NEW YORK?The 4-year-old son of ?Crocodile Hunter? Steve Irwin was not at alarmed when he was recently bitten by a baby boa constrictor, according to his mother.
?It bit Robert on the finger, and he was proud to have copped his first hit,? Irwin?s widow, Terri, said Monday at an appearance with her two children to promote a line of toys.
Terri said her daughter Bindi, 9, was first bitten by a snake when she was 18 months old. AP
Like Marilyn...
NEW YORK?Lindsay Lohan is following in the footsteps of the most famous blond bombshell of them all, Marilyn Monroe.
In the issue of New York magazine on sale Monday, the 21-year-old star of ?Mean Girls? and ?Freaky Friday? poses nude for photographer Bert Stern in a recreation of one of Monroe?s most famous photo shoots, done shortly before she died. AP
***
Top of the Talk Shows, Feb. 16 and 17
For those who missed the weekend?s TV gabfests. (And why we are moved, if we are moved.)
? Cheska Garcia, on the spat between her brother Patrick and his girlfriend Jennylyn Mercado:
?Let them solve their own problem. Let them find their way, the best way they can fix their problem.? (In Tagalog, malaki na sila. Korek.)
? Patrick, on his rift with Jennylyn:
??Yung problema di namin naayos na kaming dalawa lang. What more kung mag-asawa na kami? Tingnan muna natin.? (Truly, hindsight is 20/20.)
? Patrick on a hypothetical question: If he finds out that he is not the father of Jennylyn?s child...?
?I?ll still stand [as] the father until somebody steps forward and [claims responsibility].?
? Pops Fernandez, on Martin Nievera?s rumored affair with the stepdaughter of a Brunei prince:
?As a mother, I feel for Santino siyempre.? (Katrina Ojeda: ?That?s my line!? Joke lang.)
? Ara Mina, on sister Cristine Reyes? relationship with Willie Revillame:
?Tama lang naman na relax muna siya because katatapos lang nu?ng [kontrobersya].?
? Willie, on his relationship with Cristine:
?Friends na friends lang kami.?
? Cristine, asked about the rumored romance:
?Wala pa po akong planong mag-love life [uli].? (Bakit nga ba pinipilit itong kwentong ito?)
? Cristine, asked if Dennis Trillo remained in her heart:
?Meron pa rin akong care kay Dennis pero hindi ko na maibabalik ?yung dating pagtingin.? (Puedeng less, puedeng more?)
? Gian Carlos on the pregnancy of girlfriend Eda Nolan:
?Plano ko siyang pakasalan. Kasi concerned ako sa baby, eh. Gusto ko may tinuturing siyang papa.? (A good reason, granted, but not always the best.)
? Eda on her pregnancy:
?Sobrang saya na ako dahil may family na ako, dahil may baby na.? (Buti na lang sobra, in case mabawasan.)
? Sen. Bong Revilla, on being named by Rufa Mae Quinto as one of her past lovers in a magazine interview:
?Sanay na ako sa intriga. Di na dapat patulan. Kumbaga, basta alam ko, hindi ako ?yon.? (Sino kayang impostor ?yon? Ang galing, ha?)
? Karylle, on the paparazzi photo showing boyfriend Dingdong Dantes with another woman:
?Pinsan niya po ?yon. Kasama ko nga kagabi kasi... dumaan ako sa bahay ni Dong. Nag-di-dinner ?yung family niya, ?yung pinsan niya na ?yon. Nandoon pa nga ?yung tabloid... pinagtatawanan nila... kasi magkakasama kaming lahat sa trip na ?yon.? (Thank goodness at di kami napagbintangan.)
? Marky Cielo, on his relationship with screen partner Glaiza de Castro in the forthcoming GMA-7 series, ?Kaputol ng Isang Awit?:
?Pareho kami ni Glaiza na seryoso sa trabaho, so focused kami dito. Cool lang kami together.? (Okey, ?wag pilitin ha?)
? Jolo Revilla, on the Gucci bag he gave Lovi Poe for her birthday:
?Alam ko kailangan eh.? (Pa?no kung kailangan din namin?)
? Lovi?s comment:
?Sabi ko kahit cupcake lang.? (A, ?yan ?di namin kailangan.)
? Jolo?s response:
?Eh mahal na mahal kita.? (Exit na kami rito.)
? Jericho Rosales? response to having been accepted by girlfriend Heart Evangelista?s family:
?Ang feeling ko, nakahiga ako sa cotton candy. Sobrang sweet and sobrang lambot ng feeling.?
? Heart?s reaction:
?Dream ko ito.?
? John Lloyd Cruz, on his relationship with girlfriend Liz Uy:
?Smoothly sailing. Masaya kami. We?re very content. And, pareho kaming busy? which I think is good kasi pareho kaming nasa peak ng respective careers namin so it?s a good blessing na pareho kaming busy.? (Parang ang daming meaning nito.)
? Gretchen Barretto, asked where her ?heart? is:
?My heart is on its way to recovery. I need to recuperate from a lot of hurt and with everybody?s help, with a lot of prayers, we?ll get there.? (Bakit kasali kami diyan?)
(Startalk and The Buzz)
From readers
You have a voice in this corner. E-mail rushes@inquirer.com.ph. Now na.
From Heckler At Large (professionalheckler@yahoo.com):
There have been rumors that actor John Arcilla and gym instructor Mark Dungo (remember that ?Sabi nila, pumuti raw ako? Likas Papaya ad?) are an item.
While male celebs coming out of the closet is no longer surprising, I didn?t expect John to be gay ? until I saw them together during a special movie preview at Glorietta 4.
They appeared to be wary of prying eyes, so they both wore baseball caps. (Sure ka ba, Heck, na sila ?yon?)
From Jean Chenet (thecommentator@live.com.ph)
Put together an album of a celebrity?s favorite songs (they don?t have to sing the songs, they could be tone deaf, and couldn?t sing to save their lives, but no matter ... ).
Cook up a major intrigue or publicity stunt surrounding the celebrity? the more risque, the better. When the gullible public has been titillated enough, announce the album.
You?ll have a platinum album in your hands and can laugh all the way to the bank. Gimmicks are now used to sell, not only albums, but everything else, including a dead career that?s trying to come back to life. (Kita mo rin ?yon? Hehehe.)
Politics on top hits list
Broadband Top Hits (from text messages):
? ?Two Hundred Million Thanks To You,? by A. Balos
? ?Money, Money, Money,? by the F Gees
? ?The Neri-ness of You,? by Romulus
? ?Don?t You Go, Don?t You Go, sa Senado,? by Mike & Defensor
? ?Maging Tsino Ka Man,? by Serge & the Apostles
? ?If You Leave Me Now,? GMA to Cabinet
? ?50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,? GMA to FG
? ?Sorry, Puede Ba?? FG to GMA
