?MY WISH is to never run into swindlers and people who issue bouncing checks,? said Annabelle Rama, who celebrated her birthday on Thursday night by mounting a variety show at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pasig.

At the end of the three-hour extravaganza, Annabelle said in Filipino: ?Putting up this show had been really stressful. I made this for all of my talents. This is to thank them for trusting me with their careers, kahit may mga ingrata.?

It was direct reference to actress Heart Evangelista, whom Annabelle has publicly berated after the termination of their talent management contract.

Annabelle surprised her family and guests when she sang the Visayan song ?Pobreng Alindahaw.? She said it was her gift to everyone who helped make the show possible.

?O my God! Mom, are you going to sing?? asked a visibly surprised Ruffa Gutierrez, her daughter.

Annabelle replied: ?Wala kang pakialam kung sintunado ako, Ruffa. You see, Pilita (Corrales) is my idol. I know Eddie (Gutierrez, her husband) likes pretty girls from the Visayas.? Eddie has a son with Pilita ? actor Ramon Christopher, who is also being managed by Annabelle.

The Crowne Plaza show, titled ?Spotlight: Stars, Scene Stealers, Survivors? coincided with the launching of Annabelle?s magazine with the same name. The 80-pager features all of her 29 talents.

?Mom had wanted to put her bikini photo on the magazine cover, but Raymond [one of Annabelle?s five sons] convinced her to change her mind,? Ruffa said. ?He told her to just leave the sexy image to her talents.?

Ruffa said she wished her mom would consider taking a break from work. ?If I?d have enough money I?d send her to the Caribbean for a vacation. It would be her second honeymoon with Dad. My mom works so hard that she forgets to relax. I should also give her a pill that would lessen her stress,? the actress-TV host said.

The event started past 9 p.m. with a song number from comedian Arnell Ignacio. Ruffa?s daughters, Lorin and Venice, then each rendered a tune for their Lola.

A fashion show featuring the works of up-and-coming designers came next. All of Annabelle?s talents appeared on the ramp. The final walk was reserved for Eddie, who looked dapper in a suit by Avel Bacudio, and Ruffa, who was in a stunning Sasa Jimenez black sequined dress.

Danita Paner impressed the crowd with her version of Katy Perry?s ?Waking Up in Vegas.? Many were surprised to hear TJ Trinidad sing ?Faithfully? of the rock group Journey.

Miriam Quimbao rendered ?Colors of the Wind,? the theme for the animated film ?Pocahontas.? Ritchie Paul Gutierrez did a rap number that also featured Carla Humphries.

The Asistio sisters Ynna, Anykka and Alyanna were featured in a sizzling dance segment. Sisters Ehra and Michelle Madrigal also performed with JC de Vera, Bubbles Paraiso, Arci Munoz and Humphries.

Eddie, formerly known as an ?Elvis Presley of the Philippines,? was well applauded when he sang ?Baby I Don?t Care? and ?Hound Dog.?

Anthony Castelo did his old hit ?Hahanapin Ko.? Pilita, who came rushing that night from a show at Teatrino in Greenhills, sang a medley of ?70s classics.

Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez took time off from preparing their December wedding to sing ?Kailangan Kita.? Ogie also did his version of ?Bato sa Buhangin.?

Present at the party were executives from GMA 7 and TV5, as well as celebrities Claudine Barretto, Raymart Santiago, Tirso Cruz III, Bodie Cruz, Joey Reyes, Audie Gemora, Sylvia Sanchez and Ricky Davao.

There was a tense moment when businessman Atong Ang arrived, while Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson was also at the venue. The two had been at odds over the control of gambling operations that led to the 2001 ouster of then President Joseph Estrada.

But Atong left after an hour.

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph