MANILA, Philippines?Viewers were more turned off than moved by Kris Aquino?s breaking down in ?The Buzz? last Sunday.

She was pleading for the nth time not to drag her brother Noynoy into the show biz controversies she gets embroiled in. The latest of these is her tiff with Ruffa Gutierrez, which prompted Ruffa?s mom, Tita Annabelle, to lash out at Kris and appeal to the public not to vote for Noynoy.

How can people disassociate Kris from Noy when she?s the ?face? of his presidential campaign? Besides, she always brings up the names of her late great parents and also her siblings when she pleads for understanding about issues that plague her. Enough already.

Why do viewers have to be subjected to her cathartic moments every time she feels that people are ganging up on her?

Almost everybody in the biz has a ?Kristeta Taklesa? story to tell. She knows how to dish it out so she should be able to take it.

Don?t get me wrong; I?m not anti-Kris. I even came to her defense at the height of the issue about her ?controversial encounter? with husband James Yap?s rumored girl, Mayen Austria.

She has weathered countless scandals, so by now she should be shock-proof. But viewers can never be ?Kris-proof.? For some strange reason, she always has an interesting effect on people, whether they are her fans or not.

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A naughty gay friend sent me a photo of a mock Kapamilya network logo which read: ?ABS-CBN (Aquino Broadcasting System. Cge Boto Noynoy).? He placed a caption: ??Di ba mas magaling pa ang pa-underdog drama ni Kris sa ?The Buzz? than in her teleserye??
Ah, the crazy side effects of the election fever that is now running high!

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Sam Pinto is fast becoming the next ?It Girl.? She?s being linked to Willie Revillame and Gerald Anderson.

Who is more her type? ?Gerald,? she quips. ?I go for pretty boys like him, who are half-Pinoy and half-something.?

Isn?t she wary that the Kimerald fanatics will wage war against her? ?Not really,? she says. ?Alam ko galit na ata sila sa akin (laughs). But they have nothing to be mad about. It?s not like I?m going to snatch Gerald away from Kim. It?s just a harmless crush.?

It?s not a remote possibility that the crush is mutual because guys unanimously agree that there?s really something about Sam.

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If there?s one thing I like about Senator Bong Revilla, it?s his ability to let things slide and just play it cool. Even if I have written several ?revealing? column items about him in the past, he never took it against me.

In fact, when I attended his press gathering, he approached my table and said, ?Thank you for always defending my son Jolo. Kinakapatid mo ?yun.?

He?s also grateful to the show biz industry that introduced him to millions of people who gave their trust and confidence to him. That?s living La Vida Revilla!

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Swatch endorser Christian Bautista is set to leave for Thailand tomorrow to represent the Philippines in the Pattaya Festival?the biggest summer event in Bangkok. He was handpicked by Grammy, the largest independent record label and media conglomerate entertainment company, to perform in the main event on March 20.

After his huge success in Indonesia, his latest single, ?Anagurah Cinta? with Noryn Aziz, was launched in Malaysia. The next Bahasa single in his album will be released this April, to be distributed by Universal Music Malaysia. Next in line are Singapore, Hongkong, Taiwan, South Korea.

Christian?s ?romance with Asia? is getting strong with every song.

E-mail wateringholeshangrila@yahoo.com