Regine Velasquez might have bitten the bullet too early in her efforts to grab the “Betty La Fea” plum role in ABS-CBN.
She risked her job at GMA-7, even placed herself on a forced exit from her only show at the moment, “SOP”, so that she would not be in a conflicting position while she was negotiating with ABS-CBN.
Regine claims in an interview with ABS-CBN’s “The Buzz” that the Kapamilya station did offer her the role, albeit informally in a dressing room while she was preparing for a “Sharon” appearance. She insisted, while not naming the official who did it, that the offer was made and then she asked GMA-7 for permission. GMA-7, naturally, disallowed it.
But, like a starlet who always begs for a dream role, Regine persisted in hoping that the alleged ABS-CBN “offer” was made formal. Then she got the biggest disappointment: ABS-CBN officially denying that any offer was made, particularly the P25 million price tag that circulated in the media.
ABS-CBN was not in the business of pirating artists from other networks, the formal statement said. It only starts negotiating if the artist makes the first move.
What “hurt” Regine was that denial of making any offer. “In-assume na po namin na ABS is no longer interested in their offer. Kasi dineny nila na nag-offer sila ng ganito so parang nahu-hurt ako. I’m just being honest,” Regine said.
So the issue rests. While we can’t predict what ABS-CBN will do next, it would be safe to say that the network was holding off any decision on the matter. It would not guarantee an answer to Regine as of the moment probably because “Betty La Fea” hasn’t even gone to creative yet, much less budgeting.
Other people think Regine, although a fine actress, may be miscast as Betty because her iconic persona and mature looks could not fit the downtrodden, innocent character. But of course, prosthetics can have its way.
While ABS-CBN is contemplating, time may run out for Regine. Who knows, there’s really no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? She may have made a mistake in putting her GMA-7 ties on hold because of something she herself wasn’t sure of.
In the end, Regine realizes she just can’t have everything: “Mahirap naman pong patagalin ko pa ng patagalin ito. It’s also unfair for me because I have no work.”
February 2008 Archives
Jennylyn Mercado confirmed rumors of a rift with boyfriend Patrick Garcia, father of her unborn child.
“Actually wala na po kaming communication. Hindi naman kami nagkakausap na. Hiwalay na ulit, (We don’t communicate. We don’t talk to each other anymore. We’re not together again),” Jennylyn told GMA-7’s “Startalk” on Saturday.
In her emotional interview, Jennylyn was asked if Patrick had “formally” indicated he wanted to break up with her.
“Ayokong pag-usapan. Siguro kailangan ko lang ngayon maging matapang for my baby kahit wala siya. Kailangan ko for myself (I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to be strong for my baby even if he’s not there. I need it for myself),” Jennylyn said.
Asked if the milk supplement former boyfriend Mark Herras gave her and rumors that Mark could be her child’s father had sparked their latest falling-out, Jennylyn said, “Obvious naman kung sino ang boyfriend ko tapos i-ku-question pa kung sino ang tatay. Ang pangit naman ang tingin nila sa akin. (It’s pretty obvious who my boyfriend is and they question who the father is. They really picture me that bad.)”
Jennylyn was referring to insinuations in media reports and statements from Patrick’s mom, Bing Garcia, on Mark’s gesture.
“Hindi naman maganda na lumalabas na si Patrick for that (milk supplement), hindi maibigay. Hindi naman sa sinasabi kong masama yung ginawa niya, na may masama siyang intention. Pero ang tingin ng ibang tao, nilalagyan ng ibang kulay. O kita mo na, ano ba yan, para sa box of milk, yung baby di na kay Patrick (Because of that (milk supplement), it would appear Patrick could not provide…I’m not saying what he did was wrong, that he had bad intentions. But other people would put color into it. See, because of a box of milk, the baby is not Patrick’s anymore),” Bing told “Startalk” in a separate interview.
Jennylyn appealed to Patrick: “Ni-reremind ko naman siya palagi pagdating sa mga ganyan kasi kailangan ko po talaga ng kasama pag-magpapa-check up. Lalo na sa situation ko kailangan talaga laging siyang nandiyan para sa akin. Lagi siyang nandiyan para alagaan ako. Kahit tawagan lang ako okay lang yun. Kahit di niya na lang ako puntahan. Kahit tawag na lang or kumustahin man lang. (I always remind him that I need him whenever I go for a check-up. I always need him to be by my side, to take care of me. Even just a phone call would do. He doesn’t need to come here. He can just a call or just ask how I’m doing.)”
Asked if she still wanted to mend her thinning ties with Patrick, Jennylyn said: “Oo naman po. Pero sa akin siyempre para sa amin nung anak ko, kahit siguro gaano katagal maghihintay ako. Maayos lang po. Hope na magkausap na kami and ma-settle na namin yung mga kailangan ma-settle. (Yes. For our sake, I will wait no matter how long it takes just to settle this. I hope we could talk soon and settle what needs to be settled.”)
Meanwhile, Patrick refused to air his side on “Startalk,” saying his silence was for the best of Jennylyn and their child.
A new catfight is brewing. Actually, the catfight is about a controversy that showbiz observers thought was dead. The protagonists were thought to have moved on. Jessa Zaragoza and Dingdong Avanzado got married. Rufa Mae Quinto since had several relationships after her break-up with Dingdong and led a showbiz career that was nothing short of phenomenal, both as a talent and producer.
However the hatchet was really not buried after all.
Rufa Mae revealed in a tell-all interview with YES! Magazine all her ill-feelings about what transpired during her separation from Dingdong and how the singer-composer left her for Jessa. Dingdong and Jessa now reside in the U.S.
An old grudge has now taken new life. Jessa is now on the offensive:
“Galit po talaga ako kasi po puro kasinungalingan po yung sinasabi ni Rufa Mae Quinto about me and Dingdong (Avanzado). Marami pong lies siyang sinabi about me and Dingdong dito sa article na ito. Very deceiving eh. Pag binasa mo talagang parang maniniwala ka lalo na kung ordinaryong tao ka. Kasi very detailed. Pero masasabi ko po yung mga detalye na linagay niya doon puro kasinungalingan. Napaka-unfair po kung di ko po sasagutin at hindi ko po itutuwid,” Jessa told GMA-7's "Startalk" in a phone interview Saturday.
Jessa was talking about Rufa Mae's contention she was still in a relationship with Dingdong when the former sexy actress began her romance with the singer-composer.
“Just to set the records straight, kaya rin po ako nagsasalita. Kaya rin ako nagpapaliwanag, gusto ko po lang linawin si Rufa Mae po, di po siya girlfriend ni Dingdong noon. They were just going out. In fact, she was even seeing other men aside from Dingdong at that time. In fact, may mga instances po na nahuli siya po – ito ang katotohanan – hindi po masabi ni Dingdong kasi nga po ang hirap magsalita dahil lalaki siya di ba? Parang napaka-ungentleman kung sa kanya manggagaling. In fact, nahuli siya ni Dingdong na may kasama siyang lalaki sa bahay. I won’t name names. Pero ito, actor-politician na naging dyowa niya. In short, siya ang nanloko kay Dingdong. Hindi si Dingdong ang nanloko sa kanya. Kung ganitong klaseng babae, paano mo naman se-seryoso-hin. Pa-paano mo masasabing girlfriend. So kung hindi siya girlfriend, it means walang inagaw, walang inagawan, at wala akong sinirang relasyon,” Jessa said.
Jessa also revealed alleged request Rufa Mae made when she realized Dingdong had fallen out of love with the sexy comedienne.
“Ang mahirap kasi niyan, lalo na doon sa article, gagawin niya, maglalagay siyang truth, hahaluan niya ng lie. Totoong tumawag siya sa akin at that time. Pero ganito ang sinabi niya sa akin, ‘Jessa pwede bang ano makiusap sa yo. Alam ko gusto ka ni Dingdong at nililigawan ka ni Dingdong. Pwede bang saktan mo si Dingdong, basted-in mo. Kasi ano eh yun yung pride niya kasi nga nahuli siya ni Dingdong na meron siyang kasamang lalaki. So ang feeling ko naman doon, bakit naman susundin ang masamang intensyon ng taong ito sa taong may magandang intensyon naman sa akin. Kumbaga, kung mahalin ko man si Dingdong o gustuhin ko man si Dingdong, I don’t owe an explanation to anybody. Lalo na sa kanya.”
She also said Rufa Mae used an interview with "The Buzz" to gain public sympathy against the now-married couple.“Kasi po yung guesting niya sa ‘The Buzz’ nung matagal na yon, bago siya umiyak-iyak doon, scripted yun eh. Tinext niya kami. Sabi niya, humanda kayo. Panoorin niyo ako sa ‘The Buzz’ at panoorin niyo kung ano ang gagawin ko. Yun nga yung time na umiyak-iyak siya na kinuha niya yung simpatiya ng taon na pinalabas niya na masama kami na ako, nang-agaw ako. At that time hindi ako makapagsalita kasi pinipigilan ako ng management ko before na sabihin ko tong mga facts na ito. Pero now, hindi na pwede yung ganoon. Kasi, hindi lang naman ako ang involved, ngayon involved na ang family ko, involved ang asawa ko, lalo na kapakanan ng anak ko. I want to set the records straight. Ang malaman ng tao kung ano ang katotohanan.”
At the end of the interview, Jessa said she was ready for a fight.“Yes, porke’t ba nandito ako Amerika ay sasamantalahin niya ang pagkakataon. Parang sa akin, hindi na tama itong ginagawa niya. Pagsisisihan mo itong ginawa mo kasi sinimulan mo ito, hindi kita uurungan. Itutuwid ko ang dapat kong ituwid. At saka kung gusto mo talaga ng closure, hindi mo gagawin ito, mag-te-tell-all ka. Ok lang kung mag-te-tell all ka kung ang lahat based on facts. Hindi eh. Mag-te-tell all ka, tapos puro kasingunalingan yung gagawin mo. Ako, nananahimik na ako dito sa Amerika. Hindi ko kailangan ang issue na ito. Pero dahil sinimulan mo at puro kasinungalingan ito, yung sa aming mag-asawa at sa family namin, hinding-hindi ko pwedeng palalagpasin ito.”
Right after the interview, "Startalk" got Rufa Mae's reaction. She immediately pounced on Jessa's statement that she and Dingdong were never "on."
“Eh di hindi di ba? Hindi naman siya involved sa buhay naming dalawa. So wala naman siyang alam. So kung ano man ang sinabi sa kanya, hindi ko na problema yon.”
She also reacted to Jessa's comment that no man will take her seriously because he had dated other men, including an actor-politician, during the course of his relationship with Dingdong.
“Talaga? Bakit si Jessa ang nagsasabi bakit hindi siya? Naiinis ako eh. Hanggang ngayon, ano pa rin, ha, umaapela-apela pa yan ha. Ibig sabihin, hello, hanggang ngayon ba magsisinungaling pa tayo? Ang tatanda na natin at saka may anak na sila. Bahala sila sa buhay nila. Mag-re-react ka pa buti kung totoo naman,” Rufa Mae said.
"Buti na lang, salamat sa Diyos, hindi niya ako sineryoso naku dahil hindi ko type na maka-tuluyan yan. So who cares? Basta lahat ng sinabi ko, yun yon. Maging player ako o hindi, who cares? Wala siyang pakialam, di ba? Ang nakaka-bwi—t lang sa kanya, tina-try niyang sagutin yung mga sinabi kong katotohanan eh wala naman siya doon," she added.
Rufa Mae insisted her statements were true.
“Basta, in short, niloko nila ako. Yun lang ang bottom line doon. Oo pati siya. Isa pa siya. Huwag na siyang umapela-apela diyan. Eh ever since, umapela-apela pa siya, hindi naman siya ang naging ka-relasyon ko. Alam mo yung ganoon? Alam ko na nanay siya ng anak ng asawa niya pero…na-involve lang naman siya dahil siya yung after me pero kumbaga nung kami naman noon, ang pinag-usapan doon sa YES! Magazine yung mga ex ko dahil nga Valentine’s yun lang. Pero kumbaga, bakit siya sumali pa? Totoo lahat yun. Ngayon, kung guilty na guilty sila para magalit galit sila, bahala sila. What’s new naman?”
Did she really love Dingdong?
“I thought that time. Sinabi ko naman before those were the days. Basta ako at that time, yun ang katotohanan at yun talaga yon. Eh di kung ano ang reaksyon nila, eh di go go go na lang.”
Dingdong remained mum on the issue. When "Startalk" asked where Dingdong was, Jessa said he was "out."
