MANILA, Philippines?Sweet Starlet was devastated when she found that her ex-boyfriend recorded their intimate moments together.

Still, SS remained admirably mum throughout the ghastly circus that is the Hayden Kho-Katrina Halili sex video scandal.

Until now.

Well-Placed Insider, however, alleges that execs of SS home network met recently and decided to re-package the wholesome wannabe into ? tah-dah! ? Sexy Starlet.

SS certainly believes that, when life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade.

Worst-case scenario

Friends of Sweet Celebrity (who got unwittingly involved in the salacious scandal du jour) are certain that she never took part in any incriminating video with the doctor-turned-porno director.

Well-Meaning Friend, however, suspects that, ?if ever,? it?s possible that the doctor recorded a private phone conversation or, kept very personal text messages from SC.

But that?s just the worst-case scenario, says WMF.

Battle of publicists

The scandal is actually a battle of publicists, too.

When her allegedly ?excised? audio tape was made public, Lolit Solis blamed Kho and his publicist. The recording supposedly implies that Solis ?scripted? the whole sordid mess.

Solis, for her part, is the publicist of Kho?s victim and nemesis, Halili.

Public Relations Expert, who isn?t directly involved in the controversy, offers this piece of advice, although unsolicited: ?At this point, the absence of PR is the best PR of all.?

Or as PRE would put it bluntly: ?Less talk, less mistakes.?

Good news

In the works is the first gay film festival, set at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

Scheduled in September, it?s dubbed ?OUT and UP? and will gather the country?s most promising independent filmmakers and their new works in competition.

Also, the indie scene has found a supporter in actress Rosanna Roces who plans to co-direct with Neal Tan the drama, ?Baklas.?

No, it?s not a gay film, said Roces. ?It?s about human organ harvesting.?

Roces? ?Aurora? and ?Karera? director, Adolfo Alix Jr., is also going places. He has two films, ?Adela? and ?Manila,? in the lineup of the 31st Moscow Film Festival, running from June 19 to 28.

?Adela? top-bills Anita Linda while ?Manila,? which Alix co-directed with Raya Martin, features Roces and Piolo Pascual.

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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.)

Kris Bernal?s message to screen partner Aljur Abrenica concerning the acts of lasciviousness case filed by a 13-year-old girl:
?Unang-una prayers. Yun ang laging sinasabi ko sa kanya. Magdasal ka. At siyempre para sa kanya, nandito lang ako. If you need anything, advice or whatever, nandito lang ako, huwag kang mahiya. Basta magkwento lang siya, magsabi siya. Alam ko yun ang totoo.? (Ah, young love!)

Katrina Halili on allegations that Lolit Solis scripted all her statements against Hayden Kho:
?Ang hirap naman i-script yun. At saka kung mangyari sa ?yo yun, di mo na kailangan i-script yung mga gagawin mo.? (Although technically, anything is possible.)

Lolit on an audio tape allegedly proving she orchestrated Katrina?s actions against Hayden:
?Bakit ?di na lang nila ilabas yung buong tape para mapakinggan nila ang lahat ng conversations? Wala naman akong tinatago.? (Oo nga, bilis!)

Lolit on why the tape was circulated:
?Para sirain yung credibility ko. Kasi may demolition job.? (At least five ongoing at once, last we counted.)

Ruffa Gutierrez on leaving mom Annabelle Rama?s home:
?Mahirap yung mga pinagdadaanan namin. Kahit po I?m a public person, I would like to keep our family problems within the home. Sana pagbigyan niyo kami na we can solve this on our own at huwag na sa harapan ng publiko. You know, in the next couple of days, I?m sure mag-uusap din kami ni Mommy and people are going to try to make us talk and ayusin yung mga problema namin. Sa lahat po ng mga taong nadadamay, you know who you are, I swear from the bottom of my heart, I truly apologize. Wala kayong kinalaman dito. This is just between my mom and I.? (Mom or you could stop talking, too.)

Korina Sanchez on rumors her marriage to Sen. Mar Roxas will not push through:
?Tuloy na tuloy pa rin siya. Wala namang dahilan para hindi matuloy. Wala pang date pero ang pamanhikan on June 13. Wag lang merong lindol o delubyo na naman o sobrang grabe na namang bagyo at iuurong ko talaga yon ? gusto ko talagang makita ang mga stars para romantic.? With Gerry Plaza

(Startalk, The Buzz)
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