Bong and Jinggoy kiss and make up, at last!

And finally, 22 months after the EDSA 2 that ousted his Ninong Erap, Bong Revilla has reconciled with his Pareng Jinggoy (Estrada) Saturday afternoon – in person, that is, in the flesh!

You see, Saturday last week, Lolit Solis, who’s close to both men, did a surprise hook-up interview for Startalk with Jinggoy (from the Veterans Hospital which has been his and his dad President Joseph "Erap" Estrada’s "home" for more than a year now) and Bong who came to know about it only when they were already on air. There were some friendly pasaring between Jinggoy and Bong during that Startalk "tele-conference" but no real reconciliation, even if earlier this year during his birthday Jinggoy told movie reporters that he had "forgiven" his Pareng Bong for mounting the stage during the EDSA 2 and cutting ties with the Estradas, a move which, according to political analysts, cost Bong his reelection as Cavite Governor in the 2001 elections.

So how did the "person-to-person" reconciliation, this time minus TV and/or newspaper cameras, come about?

The Funfare DPA related that it all started as a joke – you know, biruan. Last Saturday was the birthday of Jinggoy’s wife Precy Vitug who decided to celebrate, along with their child who was also marking a birthday, at the Veterans with Jinggoy (and, possibly, Erap). Guests started coming, including Bong’s sisters Rowena and Andrea who are Jinggoy and Precy’s kumare.

Of course, Jinggoy’s bosom buddies and true/real friends (for better or for worse) Phillip Salvador and Rudy Fernandez were among the well-wishers. The joking/teasing began soon after everybody had a fill of the goodies and were, you know, shooting the breeze.

"By and by," said the DPA, an eyewitness to the "historic" reconciliation, "somebody told Jinggoy jokingly, ‘What if, just if, Bong paid you a surprise visit? Okay lang ba sa’yo?’ Jinggoy simply smiled and reacted with a joke, ‘Lock the door!’ Para daw hindi makapasok si Bong."

It was way past noon. The celebration went on, with the guests having fun exchanging stories and anecdotes.

And then, the "Bong might come" joke was revived. It was past 2:30 p.m.

Okay, okay, said Jinggoy, still in a joking mood, "If anybody can produce him (Pareng Bong) in five minutes, let him in!"

Somebody reacted, also jokingly, that Bong would agree to meet Jinggoy if Jinggoy could make it to Cavite in 10 minutes.

It turned out that the joke was on both Jinggoy and Bong – or was it? – and on most everybody.

At quarter to four, the door (no, it wasn’t locked) slowly opened and guess who was standing there – yes, Bong Revilla! Seated on the table three feet away from the door was a stunned Jinggoy. In a jiffy, Bong rushed to Jinggoy and hugged him. Not a single word was said between them. There was just silence, with Jinggoy and Bong, now seated across each other, simply looking at each other, not saying a word, blushing a bit, seemingly waiting for the other to break the silence.

"Then," said the DPA, "everybody broke into an applause and that broke the tension."

The well-wishers then left Jinggoy and Bong to themselves for a heart-to-heart talk. What did they talk about? Nobody knew. But it was obvious that they had let bygones be bygones, with the hatchet buried not on each other’s backs but six feet under the ground – hopefully.

As in showbiz, in politics there are no permanent friends and enemies, only…

(Note: I’m sure Kuya Mar Cruz, who’s close to the Estradas, has some additional details and information about the Jinggoy-Bong reconciliation, so tune in to Showbiz Power with Kuya Mar on RMN DzXL tonight from 7:30 to 9.)

Rio is home for Christmas

Speaking of surprises, Rio Diaz did spring one on husband Charlie Cojuangco and the Diazes several days ago when she flew home unexpected and unannounced from San Francisco (where she is undergoing chemotherapy) with children Claudia and Jaime.

"I did the same thing last year," Rio told Funfare during an exclusive chat last Friday afternoon at the San Lorenzo Village (Makati City) residence of Rio’s sister Gloria for their usual reunion lunch (with other sisters Georgie, Didith, Ruby and Aurora). "I surprised everybody. I just have to spend the Christmas Season here, no matter what. I’m staying until January, like last year."

When she left last January, Rio’s cancer was diagnosed to have resurfaced in her liver where it has stayed – so far. Since then, as usual, Rio underwent chemotherapy until July when, according to her doctors, her body couldn’t take it anymore.

"There was truth to the rumor a few months ago that I was serious," said Rio, smiling widely even in her condition, never mind if she’s looking as healthy and as happy and as fit as if she isn’t at all battling the Big C. "I was in pain and I thought I was finally going."

Since she stopped the chemo, said Rio, she resorted to alternative treatment, drinking lots of juices to clean her body and flash out toxins, making sure that her body would be ready again in case another round of chemotherapy is required by her doctors. "They don’t know what to do with me," laughed Rio. "My cancer is there but they can’t locate it."

True to her positive attitude, Rio has been acting as care-giver to people in a similar condition, including Kristine Garcia who became despondent and took an overdose of sleeping pills (but was saved just in time) when she was diagnosed to have breast cancer.

"I really want to come home," added Rio. "The air is clean in San Francisco and life is easy but there’s no place like home. I want to see my family and my friends. I miss them." (Her son Ali is now 20, taking up a course in Music at a local university.)

While here, Rio will also attend the planned (civil) wedding of her and Charlie’s good friend Jules Ledesma and Assunta de Rossi on Dec. 15 in Negros Occidental of which Charlie is the Congressman.

In San Francisco, Rio tries to lead as normal a life as possible. She drives Claudia and Jaime to and fetches them from school. She watches concerts of Filipino artists (the latest was that of Gary Valenciano) and goes out with friends, such as Gretchen Barretto and Gabby Concepcion when they were there.

Rio’s cancer was detected almost four years ago on Dec. 8, 1998, feast day of Our Lady of Immaculate Concepcion.

"It’s been four years," smiled Rio, "and thank God I’m still up and about."