'Dapat mahalin si Aljur'

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

DOES Kris Bernal believe Aljur Abrenica's claim that he never was on with Rich Asuncion? "Yes, kung 'yun ba'ng sinabi niya na hindi sila nag-on, di 'yun ang paniniwalaan ko," she says.

But is he really wooing her now seriously? "I don't know. I can't say kung ligaw 'yun. He comes to our taping with food for me. Biglang dumarating sa bahay ko para dumalaw. Laging may gift sa'kin kahit there's no occasion. He gave me a Charriol bracelet. Pero wala naman siyang sinasabing nililigawan niya ako. Parang nagpaparamdam lang. "

She has had many kissing scenes with Aljur in their hit afternoon soap, "Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin". "Grabe ang nerbiyos ko the first time and after the take, napaiyak ako. E, kailangan kasi we play a young married couple. Now, mas sanay na ako. Pero since then, nako-conscious na ako kapag tinitingnan ako ni Aljur. "

What's her gift to Aljur on his birthday last March 24? "I bought him a pair of Oakley shades. Kasi when we go to a mall, lagi siyang tumitingin noon. Kaya lang, kuripot siya sa sarili niya kaya ako na lang ang bumili para sa kanya. "

Isn't that expensive? "He also gave me an expensive bracelet as a gift noong birthday ko last January. Tiningnan ko ang price, P31,000 pala. O, di ba, galante siya sa akin?"

So because of that, does she believe "dapat ba niyang mahalin" si Aljur? "He's really worth loving naman. He's such a gentleman. Maganda ang ugali niya, malambing, sweet and humble. Alam ko maraming may gusto sa kanya at maraming naiinggit sa'kin kasi kami ang ginawang magka-love team. Kaya nga natatakot akong sagutin siya kasi alam kong marami akong karibal sa kanya, hindi lang babae kundi pati gays. "

Aljur won as most promising male star but it's KC Concepcion who won as most promising female star. How does she feel about this? "Okay lang. Sino ba naman ako kumpara kay KC, di ba? But I'm happy for Aljur. Deserving naman siya. "

She has many crying scenes in her role as Myrna in "Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin". Can she identify with Myrna? "Oh yes. Pareho kaming pag na-in love, sobra. Napa-praning din ako like her. Grabe rin ang mga sampal na inabot ko roon from Mr. Juan Rodrigo who plays my dad. Totoo talaga ang mga sampal pero okay lang para mas ma-feel ko ang character ko. Happy naman akong siya ang gumaganap na ama ko dahil napanood ko na siya before as father of Judy Ann Santos and Claudine Barretto. So it's an honor na maging ama ko rin siya on TV. "

WAKE UP, JANNO

Janno Gibbs' perennial tardiness might cause him to lose his hosting job in "Kakasa Ka Ba sa Grade 5". It's common knowledge that even in "SOP" and "Eat Bulaga," Janno has this bad habit of always reporting late to the studio. Recently, he failed to show up at the taping of "Kakasa" so DJ Mo replaced him.

We heard that GMA management does not buy his reason that he was not feeling well. If he will continue to be delinquent and won't reform then he'd be given his walking papers for good since some folks find DJ Mo an even better host than him.

BLINDNESS HELPS REKINDLE FRIENDSHIP

IT took Nadia Montenegro's eye ailment for her and colleague Gretchen Barretto to patch things up after they had a bitter falling out. Nadia nearly went blind due to a damaged retina. She underwent a series of operations to save her eyesight. Gretchen took the opportunity to reach out and wished her well. Now, they're friends again. Well, as they say, time heals all wounds. And to Nadia, we pray that your eye will have perfect healing soon, with the Lord's help.

NOT GMA'S FAIR HAIRED GIRL

BIANCA King has two current shows on GMA-7. She plays Cara, one of the ladies of the night in "Zorro," and in "Ganti" on "SRO Cinemaserye" that starts tonight, she plays one of the girls linked to Geoff Eigenmann. Because of this, some quarters say she's getting special treatment from GMA.

"That's not true," she says. "Before this, six months akong walang assignment after I did 'Dyesebel', so how can they say na malakas ako sa GMA management? I felt down nga when I was not doing any regular show. It's good I'm also busy with my college studies kaya hindi naman ako basta nakatunganga lang sa bahay. But then, it can be financially draining dahil puro palabas ang perang naipon mo at walang new finances na pumapasok. "

She's also happy that she's not playing a contravida role this time. "Naku, as the scheming Betty in 'Dyesebel', ang daming fans nina Dingdong (Dantes) at Marian (Rivera) ang nagalit sa akin. But this time, in both 'Zorro' and 'Ganti', parehong mabait ang roles ko. But I didn't ask for it. Nagkataon lang na it's what they assigned to me. Sa akin naman, okay lang kahit magkontrabida uli ako, e. Pero challenge din to do a mabait role kasi nasanay na ako playing strong characters na laging palaban. Dito, I have to make extra effort para magmukha akong sweet at hindi maldita, lalo sa 'Ganti' na lahat ng kasama ko, pare-parehong may agenda para maghiganti at ako lang ang wala. "

As for her lovelife, it's zero. "Work na lang ako muna ng work as I'm paying a condo unit that I got sa The Fort. I just paid 10% down payment at madugo ang monthly amortization so I really have to work hard. Kaya happy akong I have two shows dahil kapag wala akong show, wala rin akong pambayad sa monthly payment ko. "

ACTOR ENCOUNTERS ENGKANTOS

AMONG the original Guwapings, only Eric Fructuoso has not been active lately. Mark Anthony Fernandez is now a leading man again on the shows of GMA-7 like "All About Eve" while Jomari Yllana is in "Zorro. " Now, Eric gets another chance to do a movie in Chito Roño's "T2 (Tenement 2)" playing the role of Maricel Soriano's driver who sees engkantos. In the presscon, Eric was the only member of the cast who claims he has actual experience with engkantos.

"I was only 7 years old when I encountered them right inside my room in our old house in Parañaque," he says. "They're like dwarfs who were running around. Some are black and some are white. It came to a point that I see them everyday at nakasanayan ko na kasi wala naman silang ginagawang masama. "

Director Chito Roño says members of his family and his friends in his native Samar also have their own encounters with engkantos. "When you look at their eyes, makikita mo raw ang reflection mo roon, pero nakabaligtad ka," he says. "When you're by yourself tapos nakarinig kang may sumusutsot sa iyo pero wala namang tao, sila raw 'yun so dapat sumutsot ka rin bilang sagot sa kanila. Pero kapag tinatawag na ang name, dapat huwag kang sasagot dahil kukunin ka nila at dadalhin ka into their parallel world. At ito nga ang ipinakita namin sa last 12 minutes ng movie, their parallel world which was created totally through computer generated images kaya lumabas na ang mahal-mahal ng pelikula. But it's worth it dahil talagang ibang klaseng mundo ang mapapanood ng viewers when they see the world of the engkantos in 'T2'. "

"T2" opens in theaters on Black Saturday, April 11. Will this top his previous horror hits, "Feng Shui" and "Sukob" "Sana," says Direk Chito. "First time ipapakita ang mundo ng engkantos and it's really something very very new in local films. "

And who are the actors portraying the role of the engkantos in "T2"? "Hindi ko puwedeng sabihin kasi that's part of the surprise in the movie," he says. "Basta, magugulat kayo. "

GRUELLING SINGING BATTLE

IT will be an exciting battle of teen players this Saturday on "The Singing Bee. " Team PBB Teens will be represented by winner Ejay Falcon along with Beauty Gonzales and Nikki Uysiuseng. Team Star Circle Teen will be represented by winner Erich Gonzales with Arron Villaflor and Charles Christianson. They will be up against the Underage Girls of Melissa Ricks, Empress Schuck and Lauren Young. Also competing are Team Image Models of Regine Angeles, Victor Neri and John James Uy, and Team Sexy Young Stars Hazel Ann Mendoza, Joseph Bitangcol and Marvin Raymundo. They will be fighting the defending team of jockeys called Team Hinete.

On Sunday, the competing teams are Team Rak en Roll of comedians Empoy, Ruben and Keanna Reeves, Mega Pretty Divas of impersonators Ate Shawie, Anton Diva and Pretty Trishza, Team Simpatico of Epi Quizon, Smokey Manaloto and Gio Alvarez, Team Laugh Trippers of Ethel Booba, Brod Pete and Jeffrey Tam, and Team Bigatin of overweights Arlene Muhlach, Minnie Aguilar and Atak. The competition will be very fierce and gruelling. In the end, a new team will defeat the Team Hinete. Which one would win? You have to watch for yourself to find who'll be the new defending champions on Sunday night.

TWO FAMASES?

IN this day and age when award-giving bodies have become passe, we're surprised that two separate factions are still fighting to gain control of the FAMAS. One is led by Jimmy Tiu who claims they are the "legitimate body to conduct the annual FAMAS awards" and another one by Art Padua.

Last year, they both had their own awards nights, with one group giving away their trophies at the so very late date of Nov. 29. Their battle has even reached the Supreme Court and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Someone should tell them to pull their act together as their debacle is fast becoming an embarrassment especially now that the local film industry is practically dead and only a handful of movies are being made each year. They don't help the industry at all with their self-serving shenanigans.

Source: People's Journal