MANILA, Philippines - Erstwhile best friends Gretchen Barretto and Nadia Montenegro?s word war has gone overboard. It was triggered by Nadia?s allegedly texting their common friends fabricated stories about Tony Boy Cojuangco throwing Greta out of their mansion because of her rumored affair with businessman Dodie Puno.

They reportedly had a face-to-face encounter in Rembrandt last Feb. 22, which only aggravated the situation. Supposedly with them in the room were Dodie, Boy Asistio (Nadia?s longtime partner), Tanya Montenegro and a relative of Dodie?s.

An insider recounts for us juicy parts of what supposedly transpired that fateful afternoon. It could well be one of RP show biz?s historical, este, hysterical moments:

Nadia shouted at Greta, ?Baboy ka!? Greta fired back, ?Mas baboy ka! And then she blurted out one of Nadia?s darkest secrets which stunned Boy Asistio. (Clue: It involves an actor with foreign blood who?s making a comeback.)

Boy (who likes gambling) looked liked he lost the biggest gamble of his life. He was advised that maybe Nadia needed professional help for the sake of their kids, that she seemed to have a bipolar disorder. My source also says, ?Students pa si Greta and Nadia ay may lihim na inggit na si Nadia kay Greta na dala-dala niya until now.?

My source adds: Greta loves Tonyboy but she?s thrilled about Dodie?s marriage proposal. Tonyboy also wants to marry Greta but his annulment hasn?t come through. Until that happens, Tonyboy will just put up with Greta?s partying and casual flirtations. His only condition is that she?s back home when their daughter Dominique wakes up.

Greta and Nadia?s case reminds me of what my Mom used to say: ?Mag-ingat sa mga ?di mo kilala. Pero mas mag-ingat sa mga taong kilala mo na.?

Catch-up date?

Cristine Reyes had a spur of the moment V-day date with Dennis Trillo but she?s keeping the intimate details to herself. Probably she?s just wary of another confrontation scene with Carlene Aguilar (mom of Dens? love child) ?It was sort of a catch-up date lang,? she said. Who?ll catch who?

Lea?s blog

The ever-gracious Lea Salonga has allowed me to share with you again portions of her latest blog. Birthday cheers, Lea! Here?s to more years that are well-lived by well-loved you!

?Birthday Rumination?

As I turn 37 at the end of this workweek, I found myself awake until the wee hours of the morning ruminating on whatever lessons I might have come away with in my short life ? and so far, I?ve learned that:

A side trip can prove more fruitful than the initially intended journey;

Long conversations with people who ?get it? make time pass so quickly that you wonder where it?s gone;

Disappointment will exist, no matter how you try to avoid it;

Clean and freshly painted toenails can give joy beyond compare [on] a bad day;

Acting on one?s impulses can prove right some of the time;

You don?t always get what you want, but pray that you always get what you need;

There is beauty in unexpected places;

There is such a thing as ?enough?;

It would have been more prudent to wait, after all;

Every day is a gift to not be wasted doing absolutely nothing;

Most of the time, there?s nothing on television;

Minding someone else?s business can be counterproductive ? I mean, we have our own business to mind;

As a nation of 7,107 islands, if we each fix our own part of the island, we can then fix the nation.

E-mail wateringholeshangrila@yahoo.com.