Movie people to stage big rally against GMA - FUNFARE by Ricardo F. Lo

Because the worsening issue has ceased to be just Live Show (the Joey Javier Reyes movie that precipitated the "public outcry" that existed only in the imagination of so-called "guardians of public morality" who proceeded to pressure the Church into pressuring the GMA Administration into making MTRCB Chief Nic Tiongson quit his post barely five weeks after his appointment), movie people have mapped out plans to vehemently express their sympathy for Tiongson and their protest against his "shabby treatment" by the government.

"The larger issue now," said Tiongson, "is suppressing freedom of expression, thus putting democracy in danger, and the (trampling of his own) human rights" (when he was berated by Jaime Cardinal Sin for refusing to pull out Live Show from Metro theaters, something Tiongson couldn’t do without violating the law since the MTRCB has no recall power and only the President has).

"Now," according to Direk G, "any self-righteous matron or holier-than-thou women’s group can force the government to fire or kick out any MTRCB chief, or any public official for that matter, by screaming in panic at the sight of a bare buttock. It’s not Tiongson who has no backbone, as Cardinal Sin called him, it’s the GMA Government which has no backbone."

Anyway, at an emergency meeting yesterday, several respected directors (but where, oh, where was direk Marilou Diaz-Abaya?) scriptwriters and members of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines have agreed to hold a big rally against GMA on Monday, March 26, starting at Morayta Street onto Mendiola. Producers are also finalizing a resolution not to show any movies maybe "indefinitely." Also, as Funfare reported yesterday, the group has decided to junk GMA’s 13 Senatoriables at the May 14 polls.

Funfare also gathered that in tomorrow’s Urian Awards, the Manunuri (of which Tiongson was once a member) will stage some kind of a protest, a "surprise" move that industry insiders (and now the public in general, I’m sure) are looking forward to. What do you think would the Manunuri do?

Three guesses:

• They’ll wear all-black attires, complete with black armbands;

• They’ll do a drag number at the end of which they’ll strip naked (oops! Paging Sonia Saldivar-Ronda!) Full Monty style, or

• They’ll do – horrors! – a "live show!"

Stay tuned. Keep your eyes open!

Another ‘recycled’ Binibini wins abroad

As I’ve been saying, "recycled" Bb. Pilipinas beauties are still "winnable" when sent to other international beauty pageants, proving to the whole world that there’s no harm or nothing wrong in "recycling."

The latest "recycled" Binibini who brought home a title is 2000 Bb. Pilipinas-International Joanna Maria Mijares Penaloza. Here’s a report from Funfare’s "beauty experts" Joey Cezare, Gery Yumping, Francis Calubaquib and Felix Manuel (now based in London):

Speaking of Miss Internet WWW 2001 World Final Competition which took place on Feb. 27 in Istanbul, Turkey, our very own candidate, Joanna Maria Mijares Peñaloza, ran away with the prestigious Miss Internet WWW-Face of the Net 2001 title.

With her positive attitude and constant smile, Joanna was very popular with the other contestants and made many new friends in Istanbul.

Standing 5’9.5" and measuring 36-24-36, Joanna has the looks as well as the character which the organizers said would definitely make "the Filipina beauty a complete success in the modeling business."

The Miss Internet WWW 2001 title was won by 21-year-old Russian beauty Irina Demianova. More than $25,000 worth of cash and prizes were given to her. First runner-up was Izabela Ambrozej of Poland and second runner-up was Turkey’s Fulya Pirim.

What’s up?

• Dr. Mila Cano-Sicam congratulates Gel Santos-Relos for putting family over career in Gel’s decision to quit her TV-newscasting job at ABS-CBN to join her doctor-husband in Minneapolis. "She has taken the better part," wrote Sicam. "No amount of success can compensate for a broken home." Take a bow, Gel!

• Nolyn Cabahug and pianist Lourdes de Leon-Gregorio are the featured artists tonight at 7 in Paco Park Presents, as it continues its month-long celebration of Philippine-German Month, now on its 21st year. Minette Padilla is program host.

• Sopranos Marites Raymundo and Viola Villena, altos Jolylorlyn Quitain and Pamela Santillan, tenors Jay Ian de la Cruz and Von Ryan, baritones Ronnie Abarquez and Emmanuel Baang and pianist John Crisostomo, collectively known as the second generation Vocal Ensemble Phils, formally close the March Cultural Calendar of Concert at the Park this Sunday, March 25, 5 p.m., at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium, Manila. Hosting this weekly cultural program of the National Parks Development Committee, under Executive Director Antonio S. Mercado, and the People’s Television Network, is Susan Fernandez.