Rustom and Carmina: Peace be with you!

Curtain-raisers:

* I have to apologize to Pops Fernandez not for making her cry a river over the Funfare item the other day (about her "gimmick" with Piolo Pascual) but for mentioning that she was into her "late 30s." Oh, my God, what a big crime I committed! Actually, Pops is only 34 but she looks…24? Even younger. Yes, sweet sixteen! I heard that Pops was "incredibly credible" in her tearful outbursts during her presscon for Larawan (the GMA drama series) Tuesday noon at Mario’s Restaurant. She cried not just twice as reported but four times, according to eyewitnesses. The first two times were for the first batch of movie writers who interviewed her and the second time, for the second batch. Incidentally, will Pops please identify "M&M" in her supposedly "barren" love life?

* It’s confirmed: Ina Raymundo is giving birth to a girl (to be named Erika May) sometime in October in Vancouver where she’s with her boyfriend, Brian Poturnak, and his family while awaiting the stork’s visit.

* Could it be true that some hosts of ABS-CBN’s Sunday show A.S.A.P. will soon be dropped (like a hot potato?), starting with those who have no existing contract with the company? Whose heads will roll? Watch out!

* * *

Peace has come at last between – "warring?" – estranged couple Rustom Padilla and Carmina Villarroel whose annulment case is pending in court.

Several days ago, Rustom paid Carmina a surprise visit on the set of the ABS-CBN show Okatokat and they talked like good old friends, maybe not so much as ex-lovers. At first, there was palpable tension upon Rustom’s arrival, with Carmina looking visibly "worried" even if she didn’t have any reason to be.

It wasn’t clear what the un-couple talked about. But I guess Rustom asked Carmina how her twins (by Zoren Legaspi) were doing. Rustom hasn’t seen the cute babies yet although he has heard them cry when he and Carmina were talking on the phone early this year after Carmina gave birth in L.A.

Rustom must have assured Carmina that, 1) he wasn’t filing any charges against her, 2) he’ll always be her friend, and 3) they should let bygones be bygones and bury the hatchet – no, not on each other’s back but – in the past.

Now, will Carmina (and Zoren) invite Rustom as one of the twins’ godparents? Good idea, isn’t it? In that case, the twins will have a good reason to call him, ehem, Tito Rustom. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

Incidentally, Rustom landed his first international publicity via an eight-page cover story in a Singaporean magazine, Works Weekly. Rustom is featured along with co-stars Romnick Sarmenta, Nadja Hutagalung, Lian May Yee and Michelle Chong. In the glossy magazine’s June 15-21, 2001 issue, Rustom is featured in a full-page spread showing him naked from the waist up, the only actor in the cast enjoying such luxury of space. The photo was taken during a shoot on a beach in Singapore last April and is part of promotional efforts for a 13-episode TV series called Paradise for which the actor has been contracted.

The article describes Rustom as The Charmer in his role as Aldrin, May Yee’s protective boyfriend. "He starts out as a scheming bad guy in the first few episodes but only time and script changes will tell which camp he’ll eventually belong to." Says a blurb from the magazine: "Filipino hunks Rustom Padilla and Romnick Sarmenta, who play lead roles in Paradise, give a whole new meaning to the term tropical heat, as Singapore viewers will soon find out."

Paradise premiered on Singaporean TV SPH Mediaworks on the last week of June. It was received with great enthusiasm. Rustom is currently busy shooting episodes for the series. He is leaving again for Singapore at the end of the month for more filming in the island state as well as in Malaysia.

For old times sake

When Imelda Ilanan (now based in Singapore with husband Ben Avanceña and their son) invites you to a get-together, oftentimes for no reason at all but just for a – that’s it – get-together, you drop whatever you’re doing and go, like when "II" did last week. This time, it was for a celebration: Her own and good friend Liberty Ilagan-Ongpauco’s birthdays the week before.

The venue was the same – the Avanceñas’ sprawling residence on Gilmore Avenue in Quezon City, the same house where the late President Manuel Quezon (Ben’s grandfather) spent his last days.

From the press, only three of us were invited (not as "press people" but as friends), including Ethel Ramos and Ronald Constantino.

It was fun seeing the same old familiar friendly faces who usually grace occasions like that, such as Rosemarie Gil and Eddie Mesa, Celia Rodriguez, Minda Morena, Pempe Rodrigo, Sarah Calvin, Nova Villa and husband Freddie Gallegos, Jo San Diego, Liberty Ilagan-Ongpauco, Marissa Delgado, Rez Cortez and Jean Saburit. Sorely missed was Susan Roces.

As usual, the whole night was happily spent exchanging pleasantires and "the latest" over platefuls of "potluck" goodies. Liberty brought giant santol picked from her own backyard. Most of us brought hungry tummies and insatiable appetite (burp, burp, burp!).

Celia regaled us with stories about a ghost that kept on making its presence felt among the cast and crew of the early-afternoon sitcom Biglang Sibol in the old house (the Tuason residence in Sta. Mesa, Manila) where most of the scenes are being shot. One time, related Celia, "The lady ghost even made a ‘special appearance’ on the sitcom, just like what that little-boy ghost did in a scene in Three Men and A Lady."

Of course, the good news from Celia was that, aside from the fact that she has never been without any assignment and/or offer since she came back from the States six years ago, her son Angelo is now a full-fledged doctor (at the Makati Med).

Rosemarie was telling us that, so far, she and Eddie have 12 grandchildren (six from Mark Gil with four different women, three from Michael de Mesa and estranged wife Gina Alajar, and three from Cherie Gil and husband Roni Rogoff, now back in their cozy home in Italy).

The sad news is that Jo San Diego is set to go back to the States, unless she gets an offer to host a late-night radio show between now and maybe end of August. Baby-boomers remember Jo San Diego as that cool and soothing voice on All Night Stand (dzMT) who kept millions of night owls and insomniacs with easy chit-chat spiced up with mellow music. Being an avid Jo San Diego follower, I daresay that nobody among the current crop of FM late-night radio hosts can hold a candle to her. The original is still the best. It’s a pity that I don’t own a radio station because if I did, I’d tie down Jo San Diego to a program before she could pack her things for the States. Any taker?

The evening ended with the usual beso-beso and best wishes. It wasn’t said but it was understood: Same time, next year...same venue. And there doesn’t have to be any occasion or reason at all. It will be another get-together.