In fairness to Sharon

This is not so much an "in defense of" as an "in fairness to" piece on Sharon Cuneta who, I should say, has been put in a bad light due to her inability to attend and perform at the recent Unilever 75th anniversary event (aired by ABS-CBN).

There’s a vague report, the source of which is unknown, that Sharon deliberately "snubbed" the event by coming up with the "alibi" that she was sick. That report is absolutely unbelievable, considering the fact that Unilever is a formidable and respected name in the advertising industry and nobody would dare turn down an invitation from it – unless, of course, the one invited is so incapacitated that he/she can’t even rise from bed.

Besides, in all her 25-plus years in showbiz, Sharon is noted and admired for her own brand of pakikisama which discriminates against nobody. Thus, Sharon can be seen guesting and/or performing gratis et amore in shows or events even in far-flung places. It’s not unusual, for instance, for Sharon to stay up late just to guest on a late-late-night show like German Moreno’s Master Showman (aired midnight on GMA 7), is it? Or making a "surprise" onstage appearance in a concert by John Lapuz at the Folk Arts Theater. All for pakikisama, you know.

As Sharon once said, "I’ve built my career also on goodwill. All these years, I haven’t stepped on anybody’s toes. If I can help anybody, I will, because I’m aware that a lot of people also helped me get to where I am now."

In short, Sharon has not only pakikisama but also a sense of gratitude (something many showbiz denizens sorely lack, sigh!).

That’s why when unverified reports started filtering in that Sharon "indianed" the Unilever event and, in retaliation, Unilever would pull out and/or cut commercial load from Sharon’s ABS-CBN show, people who know both sides (Sharon and Unilever) very well dismiss the matter as "hearsay."

After some sleuthing, Funfare confirmed that Sharon was, indeed, sick of bronchitis, a respiratory ailment which started building up during the Christmas season. On Feb. 3, a day before the Unilever event, Sharon (who was on antibiotics since December last year) was advised by her doctor, Dr. Jaime Flor, to undergo a chest X-ray at the Cardinal Santos Hospital because her breathing was becoming raspy. The same day, Dr. Flor ordered Sharon to consult Dr. Zenaida Javier-Uy, a cardiologist, and she was sent home with more prescriptions.

Sharon promptly sent word to the Unilever guys who wrote back saying that they understood her condition and even sent her flowers.

Because of her bronchitis, Sharon also had to beg off from the taping of her show which aired a "replay" the following Sunday (Feb. 9).

"I’ve been loaded with work," Sharon admitted when contacted by Funfare. "I’m shooting three movies simultaneously (one for Viva Films with Richard Gomez, Walang Kapalit, directed by Joel Lamangan; another for Star Cinema, Ikaw Na Lang Sana, with Aga Muhlach; and the third, The Crying Lady, directed by Mark Meily for Tony Gloria’s company). I hope to finish all these projects by June when I plan to concentrate only on my TV show; no more movies and no more concerts na muna. You see, Francis (Pangilinan, her Senator-husband) and I want to have another baby and June is the perfect time to start it. I’m slowing down."

Let’s hope that these two institutions (Sharon and Unilever) in the industry will soon iron out the kinks, if there are, between them.

Pops, Piolo did hear Mass together

Somebody help me! I’m drowning in a sea of hate letters reacting to a casual Curtain-raisers report about Pops Fernandez and Piolo Pascual having been seen hearing Mass together at the St. James Church in Ayala Alabang.

Fans of Piolo and Judy Ann Santos are accusing me of trying to "break up" the Piolo-Juday loveteam. Not guilty, I swear! Others called the report a "big lie" all because I (mishearing my unimpeachable informer) put the wrong date, March 2 (Sunday last week), when Piolo was in Hawaii to promote Dekada ’70. He came home a few days ago in time to pick up his Best Supporting Actor trophy (for Dekada ’70) at the Star Awards for Movies last Saturday night. Mea culpa!

But I want to make it loud and clear that Pops and Piolo did hear Sunday Mass together in that Ayala Alabang church. Pops herself confirmed it. "Piolo was looking for a house in Ayala Alabang and he wanted me to accompany him," said Pops. "It was a Sunday, so we decided na rin to hear Mass together."

Nothing wrong with it, ‘no? Just because a man and a woman – in this case Pops and Piolo – are seen together in a church or somewhere else doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going steady or having an affair. Knowing Pops and Piolo to be both ferociously protective of their privacy, I’m sure they would think 10 times before being seen together in any public place if they had a romantic relationship.

So, relax, Piolo-Juday lovers/fans/admirers/defenders. Nobody is trying to "break up" the loveteam; nobody, as far as I know, is trying to "grab" Piolo away from Juday. Don’t be so over-possessive with your idols. One thing is sure: Pops is not a boyfriend-grabber. In fact, siya pa nga ang naagawan minsan, di ba?

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