Sen. Jinggoy grateful
for acting plum, dismayed
with awards night

Richard had three Valentine’s flicks in a row, all with Angel Locsin. Let’s see if his tandem with Marian now will be as successful as the films he did with Angel. Supporting them in "My Bestfriend’s Girlfriend" are JC De Vera and Ehra Madrigal, both wards of Richard’s mom, Annabelle Rama.

Some quarters say Star Cinema are pitting their "Big Love" with Toni Gonzaga and Sam Milby against "My Best Friend’s Girlfriend," but we doubt it. ABS-CBN promotes their films well and if they’re releasing "Big Love" in time for Valentine’s, they would have started drumbeating it a long time ago. The fact that it’s now the middle of January and they haven’t even called for a presscon for this movie means they have no intentions at all of releasing it on the Day of Hearts. Toni Gonzaga has a presscon but it’s meant to promote her first solo concert.

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Sen. Jinggoy Estrada hosted a dinner for the press as his way of thanking them for their positive reviews on "Katas ng Saudi," the film that got him the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) best actor award. Although he won an award in it, he still believes it’s time for the Metro Manila Development Authority to return the operation of the filmfest to the film industry.

"What they did sa last awards night, naging kawawa naman kaming winners," he says. "Para kaming itinaboy agad. Magkukuhanan pa ng photo, kailangan na raw kaming umalis sa stage dahil magsisimula na ang concert ni Lani Misalucha. Ganoon kabilis. Hindi man lang binigyan ng kaukulang importansya at atensyon ang mga pelikulang lumahok. Binubuo ang MMFF ng mga taga-industriya, tapos, binas-tos lang nila ng ganun. Nawala ang dignity ng ‘Gabi ng Parangal’ at yung minor awards, basta inabot na lang sa winners. Kaya I’ll try to ask sa senate na ibalik na ang filmfest sa mga taga-industriya at alisin na sa mga politiko. Mahabang proseso ito but we need to do it."

But he’s happy that no one questioned his winning the best actor award. He thinks it’s his tearful scene with Shaina Magdayao, who plays his daughter in the movie that made him. "Ang haba ng monologue ko roon asking her pasensiya na ako ang naging ama niya and everyone said I was able to deliver it convincingly."

We believe Sen. Jinggoy will also be nominated in other award-giving bodies when the awards derby starts in March. And we won’t be surprised if he’d win again.

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Comedian Bayani Agbayani, who played Sen. Jinggoy’s best friend in "Katas," was at the dinner and he denied he was the one who told Sunshine Cruz that her husband Cesar Montano is enamored with a Brazilian model.

"Nagkausap na kami ni Buboy (Cesar) at pinagtatawanan na lang namin ang mga maling balitang yan," he says. "Before he shot for ‘Palos’ in Macau, we even texted each other at hindi totoong galit siya sa akin. Even Sunshine, tine-text din ako about it. Buboy is like a brother to me at hindi ko gugustuhing masira ang pamilya niya. Hindi ko kilala ang Brazilian model na ‘yon. Naniniwala akong maaayos din ang problema nilang mag-asawa."

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Cesar Montano was also asked about this in the presscon of "Palos" on ABS-CBN and he cleared Bayani’s name. "Kawawa naman ‘yung tao at nadamay pa rito," he says.

But he wouldn’t like to talk about his reported gap with his wife, who’s paired with him in "Palos." So how did they shoot their scenes together if they’re having a fight?

"Walang problema as Shine has always been very professional from the time we were first paired in the movie ‘Bullet.’ May kissing scene pa nga kami."

But he wouldn’t elaborate anymore as to whether they’ve kissed and made up. We asked his manager, Norma Japitana, about this and she said she herself asked Buboy if he really had an affair with the Brazilian model.

"He told me, ‘I’m not that stupid, I love my family,’" says Norma. "Ayaw niyang magkuwento, but I was told by ‘Palos’ director Toto Natividad that they were very sweet na to each other when they did their kissing scene sa set the other night. In other words, friends na uli sila. At ‘yong mga anak nila, umuwi na uli sa bahay nila. Siguro, susunod na si Sunshine."

Isn’t all the brouhaha just part of the promo for "Palos" now that it’s about to air? "I don’t think so. Hindi naman nila siguro i-exploit ang kanilang personal life just for the show. As Buboy said, part lang yan ng ‘panata’ ni Shine na awayin siya tuwing magtatapos ang taon. And the show is really nice kaya it can stand by itself kahit walang ganitong gimmick."

Some parts of "Palos" were shown at the presscon and they’re really impressive, particularly the scenes shot in a hotel casino in Macau where Chinese fight directors like Andy Yan, Ace Wang, and Lester Pimentel (who worked with Jackie Chan and Jet Li) helped in choreographing the action scenes. In the story, it will turn out that there are two Palos characters and they’re father and son: Fabio (Cesar) and Giancarlo (Jake Cuenca). Didn’t Cesar have any second thoughts about playing a father role? "No naman kasi it’s a good project and dream ko talaga itong ‘Palos.’ In the story, nawala ako because of my enemies and Jake grows up hating me, kaya ‘Palos’ ang title kasi ‘Papa Lost’ ako. Pero later, ‘Papa Found’ na ako and both of us will be Palos as a team of crime fighters."

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Lorna Tolentino, who played Sen. Jinggoy’s wife in "Katas ng Saudi," was at the "thank you" dinner and she says she doesn’t mind if she didn’t win the best actress award. "I’m happy for Jinggoy and, as for me, happy na rin ako dahil puro positive din ang reviews na nakuha ko," she says.

Her husband, Rudy Fernandez, wasn’t with her that night as he’s in Macau with some friends. "Boys night out nila ‘yon. Pero maya’t maya, tumatawag sa akin."

Rudy just completed his latest chemotherapy and next month, they’ll go to Hong Kong for another checkup. "Okay na okay siya ngayon at ganado nga magtrabaho kahit guesting lang muna."

As for Lorna, she remains busy hosting "Startalk" and playing Helen, the mother of Alexis (Marky Cielo) in "Zaido, Pulis Pangkalawakan". This week, Helen is told that Drigo (Jay Manalo) thinks his missing son is Cervano (Aljur Abrenica). But she knows the truth: it’s not Cervano who’s Drigo’s son but Alexis. Meantime, Cervano and Alexis become intense rivals for the attention of Amy (Kris Bernal), who gets more enamored with Cervano. As Zaido Red and Zaido Green (their alter egos), Cervano and Alexis get to fight Gamma (Raymart Santiago). Cervano tries to kill Gamma but Alexis defends him and Ida (Paolo Ballesteros) beams them up both to the Kuuma lair. This is because Gamma is the brother of Alexis. Now that Alexis is with the Kuuma, his mom Helen gets worried and calls Drigo to inform him that Alexis is his real son, not Cervano.

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Do you know that Iza Calzado is very enterprising and now owns a hotel at Station 2 of Boracay called The Tide? "We never know until when our showbiz career will do well so it’s nice to have a business of your own," she says.

Iza’s career is really blooming as she now has not just one show but two on GMA-7. She’s Robin Padilla’s leading lady in "Joaquin Bordado." Aside from that, she’ll be hosting her own horror show on Thursdays, replacing Mel Tiangco’s "Magpakailanman."

Originally titled "Sindak," they’re thinking up a new title since "Sindak" is already being used in "Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara." To title it "Iza Calzado Anthology" would be so bland and unappetizing, so they better think up of something more catchy. Iza will play a reporter who specializes on strange stories about the occult and the paranormal. The series will premiere next month yet and while waiting for it to start, GMA-7 will replay the best episodes of "Magpakailanman."

In "Showbiz Central" last Sunday, Iza had the chance to "eyeball" in person her avid fan, Mommy Luz Ruiz, who’s been following her career since she was launched in "Te Amo." Iza was so happy to meet her fan and gave her a gift. After that, she went to Korea to represent our country in an international modeling competition in Seoul.

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Carlo Aquino is happy to be doing his second soap with GMA-7. In the first one, "Sinasamba Kita," he gets to rape Valerie Concepcion. Now, in "Maging Akin Ka Lamang," he gets to rape Isabel Oli. Writers kid him that he’s now an official rapist.

"But in the film I did before, ‘Tuli,’ I was the one raped by Desiree Del Valle," he says.

So which is better: to rape or be raped? "Mas masarap kung ako’ng nire-rape," he laughs.

The problem with Carlo is that he’s 22 but still looks like a teenager. "Mukha pa rin daw akong totoy."

He now has to make himself look older in "Maging Akin Ka Lamang" as Ernie, played originally by the late Jay Ilagan in the Lino Brocka movie. "I have to wear glasses at binago pati hairstyle ko to make me look more mature. Even the way I move, yung projection ko, dapat mas older ang dating. But the role is really good. I’m so devoted to Isabel I don’t realize she’s just using me to get closer to Polo Ravales who’s the real object of her desire. But in the end, I’d get tired sa pagiging sunud-sunuran sa kanya at ire-rape ko nga siya."

Carlo doesn’t hide that, in real life, his real love is Maja Salvador who’s with ABS-CBN. They’re often seen dating out. "Lumalabas lang kami but we’re not officially on yet. She says dapat trabaho muna ang priority namin and I agree with her. Basta pag may time kami, we go out. Hanggang doon lang muna. I’m willing to wait naman and I impose no deadlines on her para sagutin ako."

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The acclaimed film directed by Jeffrey Jeturian, "Kubrador," was shown at the Museum of Moden Art in New York City from January 10 to January 16. Jeturian was there with lead star Gina Pareno and producer Atty. Joji Alonzo to personally introduce the film on its premiere night, after which they were feted to a special reception at the Philippine Consulate in New York hosted by Consul General Cecille Rebong.

The feedback on the movie is great and from New York, it will be released in other cities across the USA. This means that even if our own Film Academy Philippines (FAP) screening committee didn’t nominate it to be Philippine entry to the Oscars’ best foreign language film category in the next Academy Awards rites, the movie might still be nominated on its own next year, now that it’s been officially released in the States.