MANILA, Philippines - Is she or isn?t she?

For the past two weeks, rumors about the impending transfer of singer Regine Velasquez from GMA 7 to ABS-CBN have been briskly making the rounds.

After a series of guestings in ABS-CBN programs, Regine openly sobbed in ?SOP? last Sunday?further fueling the talk that she was bidding the Kapuso station goodbye.

The offer. The grapevine said ABS-CBN offered Regine the local version of the Latin soap ?Betty La Fea,? plus a weekly musical-variety show. The contract purportedly totaled a whopping P25 million.

An ABS-CBN insider insisted that Regine ?presented? herself to the network. ?She wanted to do ?Betty La Fea,?? said the source, who also confirmed that the Kapamilya network owned the rights to the Latin soap.

A GMA-7 insider surmised that Regine also wanted to do a musical-variety show. ?In contemporary TV history, only three women?Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos and Sharon Cuneta?have successfully sustained a musical show. Regine wants to join that league.?

A GMA-7 exec clarified that Regine had guested in ABS-CBN shows, as part of her contract with telecommunications giant Smart which has a tie-up with TFC, the Kapamilya?s international channel. ?She was required to promote her concerts in Europe on ABS-CBN and TFC.?

The counter-offer. In a hurriedly arranged meeting, the Kapuso network, through big boss Felipe Gozon and daughter Annette Gozon-Abrogar, allegedly made a counter-offer?a new soap and two new movies. The new prime time show is the local version of the Korean hit ?Kim Sam Soon.? Movie deals include her team-up with boyfriend Ogie Alcasid and a drama with Gabby Concepcion, who?s making a comeback.

A GMA-7 insider told Rushes that the network would never allow the Songbird to fly the coop. ?She is the voice of GMA 7,? said the exec. ?She sings all our station anthems, even the ?Marimar? theme.?

The reason. According to reports, Regine was upset that she had lost the ?Pinoy Idol? hosting gig. Another GMA-7 source suspected that Regine had been more affected by the fact that brother-in-law and musical director Raul Mitra wasn?t made part of the ?Idol? team. Veteran Danny Tan is the local Idol?s musical director.

The official word. At press time, sister-manager Cacai Velasquez (Mitra?s wife) told Rushes that Regine, who was in Thailand vacationing with Alcasid, had yet to make up her mind.

Cacai and a GMA-7 production staffer said Regine would not be appearing in ?SOP? today. Unless, of course, she again changes her mind at the last minute.

The Kapamilya statement. Bong Osorio, head of ABS-CBN?s Corporate Communications, issued this statement via SMS: ?There?s no offer to Regine from ABS-CBN and the alleged P25-million bait is not true. ABS-CBN does not pirate talents from other stations, but we entertain talks if the talents themselves open the discussion.?

What about Angel Locsin, who moved from GMA 7 to ABS-CBN last year?

In a phone interview, Osorio pointed out that Angel had been quoted as saying she was the one who approached the Kapamilya network.

Asked to comment on the Kapamilya denial, Cacai told Rushes, also via text: ?They know the truth.?

Top of the tabloids

The top show biz stories in local tabloids this week. (And why we are moved, if we are moved.)

Young love, sour love

Gian Carlos at Eda Nolan, nagli-live in na! (And guess what? ABS-CBN?s StarStudio magazine has Gian and Eda as the centerpiece of a feature on teen star pregnancies! The March edition is now available in magazine outlets and newsstands. We hope they don?t make this look so rosy, that young fans? curiosity would be piqued. ?Yun lang, bow.)

Jennylyn Mercado at Patrick Garcia, away-bati ang drama!

Patrick, di tatakasan ang responsibilidad kay Jennylyn!

Ina ni Patrick, naloloka sa drama ni Jennylyn!

Pat, lalayasan na si Jen ...

Pat at Jen, hiwalay na talaga! (Sing nga ni Ate Celeste Legaspi, ?Kay bilis namang mabaliw!? In a word: Kakalowkah.)

Too soon?

??Di pa ?ko pwedeng magbuntis!? ?Regine (Actually, puwede yata.)

Nadine Samonte, lilipat sa ABS? (Uunahan daw si Regine.)

John Lloyd Cruz, hindi type si KC Concepcion?! (We?re sure oks lang kay Mega.)

John Lloyd, mas excited makasama si Gov. Vilma Santos kaysa kay KC! (Why kaya?)

?Si Karylle lang po ang babae ko!? ?Dingdong Dantes

Ang labo!

Sam Milby at Toni Gonzaga, di totoong nagkaroon ng MU?! (As in, Malabong Usapan.)

Anne Curtis, bumigay na kay Sam!

Sam, sigurado na sa feelings niya kay Anne! (Those who care, show of hands, please.)

Yasmien Kurdi at JC de Vera, mag-MU lang! (Malabong Usapan din? Parang uso yata.)

Kristine Hermosa at Oyo Boy Sotto, madalas pa ring magsama!

Diether Ocampo, handang harapin si Oyo!

Derek vision

Katawan ni Derek Ramsay, pinagkaguluhan!(We?re getting this delicious vision ... )

Cesar Montano at Sunshine Cruz, nagkabalikan na?

Sunshine, tuturuan ng leksyon si Buboy! (May bagong series?)

?Natakot ako kay Kris Aquino!? ?Boy Abunda. (Kami rin, matagal na.)

Mariel Rodriguez, nagpaturok ng boobs? (Gano?n na lang?)

?Tunay ang boobs ko!? ?Mariel

Ara Mina, tinalbugan ni Cristine Reyes sa pagpapaseksi! (?Twas bound to happen.)

Ara, sawa na raw sa laplapan at dyugdyugan! (Sakit sa tenga.)

Nadine Samonte at Isabel Oli, nagharap, tapos ang away!

Robin Padilla, tutol magkaroon ng ka-love team ang mga anak!

Rachelle Anne Go, may sawa factor! (Magaling siya ngayon, ha.)

Rachelle Anne, talbog sa mga gown ni Sarah! (May Santacruzan ba?)

Rudy Fernandez, himalang nakadalawang taon na sa sakit na kanser! (We love you, Daboy!)

(Sources: Bandera, Tumbok) Email us: rushes@inquirer.com.ph