Did Janice really try to ‘poison’ Vanessa? - FUNFARE by Ricardo F. Lo

Curtain-raisers:

• Did you know that Judy Garland’s Over the Rainbow (from The Wizard of Oz) has been declared No. 1 Best Song of the 20th Century (Don McLean’s American Pie is No. 5) by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America)? Okay, one more time, sing it!

• Condolence to Parañaque reelectionist Councilor Anjo Yllana and brother Jomari (whose wife, Aiko Melendez, is running for councilor in Quezon City in Sonny Belmonte’s ticket) on the death last April 7 of their father, Dr. Sito Yllana, who had been wheelchair-bound for years after a stroke. His remains are at the Holy Trinity Church in Sucat, Parañaque City.

• Between Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday, Metro Manila will again be a paradise, with no traffic, no deadlines to meet and no work to do. Those going out of town (to Baguio, Boracay and other summer destinations) will be scrambling for elbow room everywhere they go. That’s why I say that, with everybody gone, Metro Manila is the paradise to be in.

Several days ago, blind items came out in tabloids that the "jealous wife" of a TV host tried to "poison" the husband’s co-host (his rumored girlfriend) by giving her, that’s it, a "poisoned" cake.

It was a revealing, almost "wide-awake" item and showbiz-watchers at once identified those involved as Janice de Belen (the wife), MTB host John Estrada (the – "philandering?" – husband) and Vanessa del Bianco (the girlfriend/"other woman").

Last Friday night when she guested (along with Bing Loyzaga and Dina Bonnevie, both "battle-scarred" women as far as marital troubles are concerned) on Jullie, Janice had a chance to clarify the incident.

Admitting that she has long been suffering in silence because of the persistent rumor linking John to Vanessa (despite vehement denials from both of them), Janice opted to kill the "adversary" with kindness, unlike Bing who confronted the issue face-to-face when she learned that her husband, Janno Gibbs, was having an "affair" with Jackie Forster (estranged wife of Benjie Paras), by fetching Jackie at home and bringing her to where Janno was taping. There wasn’t any physical violence, though, although the encounter was full of tension.

What Janice did, as she recounted on Jullie, was visit the MTB set at ABS-CBN and, yes, gave Vanessa a cake, flashing a wide, friendly smile as she told Vanessa jokingly, "May poison ’yan!" Somebody must have overheard Janice and passed it on to somebody who in turn alerted a movie columnist about it. Thus, the blind item(s).

On the same show, Janice confessed that the John-Vanessa rumor has turned her into a very miserable wife and mother, helpless in that situation that could easily drive other wives of lesser stuff to insanity – and to a mental institution. The situation has so worsened, according to Janice, that even their children (four girls, plus her love son Iggy Boy by Aga Muhlach) were already adversely affected.

But still, Janice chose to be a "martyr" wife for the sake of the family.

But how long can she suffer in silence? Will she continue to allow John – that is, if he’s indeed "guilty" – to, uh, play around? Will she pretend that Vanessa del Bianco doesn’t exist?

Anyway, there’s an unconfirmed rumor that John has packed his things and left two weeks ago, contrary to a report that Janice shooed him away from the house. The Funfare DPA didn’t say where John went, so several questions hang in the air:

• Is John cooling off somewhere at a five-star hotel?

• Is he by his lonesome, perhaps doing some serious "soul-searching" during the Holy Week?

• Or is he with "somebody," enjoying his newly-found (but only temporary?) freedom?

Wherever he may be, let’s hope that John is really taking stock of the situation and weighing things very carefully. Does he still want his family, intact, or not? Does he prefer to be, uh, "free as a bird" and do whatever he wants to? Or would he rather go back to the comforts of home, away from "temptation"?

Meanwhile, Funfare wonders how Vanessa – that is, if she’s indeed "guilty" – feels about a once happy and solid family breaking apart.

For her parting shot on Jullie, the emotionally-choked and tearful Janice, at first unable to say anything, addressed an unnamed woman (well, you know who she was referring to), "This is the worst that I can tell you: I hope that the tears that you’ve caused me will go back to you. Someday, you too will be a wife and mother and you will experience the pain and sufferings that you’ve done to me. Remember the Golden Rule: Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do to you."

That’s a food for thought during this Lenten Season not only for "that woman" but for the rest of humanity. Right, Vanessa?

"TY" from Robin

Three cheers to Robin Padilla and Vilma Santos for having been named Box-Office King and Queen at the recent Guillermo Mendoza Foundation Awards held last Wednesday night (April 4) at the UP Theater in Diliman, Quezon City.

Robin won for Viva Films’ Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw (with Regine Velasquez) and Star Cinema’s Tunay na Tunay (with Jolina Mag—dangal), both directed by Joyce Bernal.

Vilma won for Star Cinema’s Anak. Vilma came home late that afternoon from a hectic campaign sortie with husband, Senatoriable Ralph Recto, so she begged off from the affair.

In his (over) excitement, Robin became "amnesiac" and forgot to mention some people in his acceptance speech, so through Funfare, Robin is thanking direk Joyce, leading ladies Jolina and Regine "at sa mga fans ko na walang sawang sumusuporta sa akin."

The awards event will be telecast on April 21, 9 p.m., on RPN 9. Watch it.