MANILA, Philippines?For those who wondered if that was him strolling with a girl and a 2-year-old boy in SM Mega Mall, yes, he was.

Arnel Pineda, now-famous front man of the US band Journey, arrived in Manila before sunrise Oct. 10 after a 69-stop tour across America and Europe. You?d think he?d take at least one day off.

Instead, he brought girlfriend Cherry and son Cherub to the mall.

Earlier, he rode his brand-new Starex van from the airport to his newly purchased home in Quezon City.

He has momentarily lost his precious voice, but he?s staying through the holidays before resuming touring in January. Puto-bumbong and salabat sounds like a great way to get those pipes back in shape.

?Secret dad? named

Remember Cristy Fermin?s rebelasyon on ?The Buzz? that Nadia Montenegro secretly got pregnant and secretly delivered a baby that she asked a friend to take care of?

Incredulous though that may sound, ?proof? was given unofficially?not so secretly?during a press con by someone on Cristy?s side, who named the secret father! He?s a recent acting-award winner known for previous disruptive behavior (and is, in fact, facing a lawsuit on account of this).

Monster manager

Talent Manager, we just learned from another talent manager, has been forging the signature of one of her wards to make some money?if P4M qualifies as ?some.?

This unwieldy TM has Another Ward who cannot shake her off. TM supposedly has AW by the neck because, the rumor goes, AW got pregnant by her last known boyfriend, and TM facilitated the ?remedy.? Is that in the job description for a manager?

Mean Mr. Mustard

An explosive new tell-all book, ?John Lennon: The Life,? by Beatles biographer Philip Norman, portrays Lennon as Mean Mr. Mustard.

We got this online, from Huffington Post.
One part of the book has Yoko Ono recalling how her husband cheated on her?while she was in the next room:

?She (a woman at a party) didn?t come on to him at all, he just pulled her and went into the next room. And then they were groping and all that, and we were all quiet... One of the other guests was very kind and put a record on, Bob Dylan or something, so that we don?t hear it. But we heard it anyway. And everyone had their coats in the next room, where John and this girl are making out so nobody can go home.? According to the report, that?s not the meanest thing in the book, either.

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Top of the talk shows

For those who missed last weekend?s gabfests on TV. (And why we are moved, if we are moved.)

? Carlene Aguilar, asked if she has found a man to replace Dennis Trillo:

?Marami akong inspiration. Hindi lang isa.? (Quits na sila!)

? Dennis? reaction:

?Eh di okey. Walang problema..?

(Sounds like relief.)

? Richard Gutierrez, on his extended trip to Paris with KC Concepcion for the premiere of their movie:

?It was a good trip for us. Paris is the city of love.? (Which is saying nothing, or saying everything, depending on which side of Mega you?re on.)

? Joseph Bitangcol, on his kissing scene with Polo Ravales for an upcoming movie:

?Ganoon pala ang mahalikan ng lalaki. Pare, nagawa natin ?yun? Parang wow extreme talaga.? (So, how was it?)

? Dingdong Dantes, on rumors of a split with Karylle:

?Basta ang importante ... hanggang ngayon sinusuportahan namin ang isa?t isa.? (Which is not saying true or false.)

? Regine Velasquez, on Michelle Van Eimeren:

?Ang bait-bait talaga niya.? (As close friends say, ?What?s yours is mine.? Ay baligtad.)

(Startalk, The Buzz)