ABS-CBN vs GMA 7: Who will get Susan’s nod?

Curtain-raisers:

• Happy together: Juan Carlos and Melissa Mendez, Heart Evangelista and John Prats, Carlo Muñoz and Meg Reyes, Leandro Muñoz and non-showbiz girlfriend Michelle, Martin Nievera and Katrina Ojeda (despite the persistent rumor linking Martin to Cutie del Mar), Dominic Ochoa and Janna Victoria, Claudine Barretto and Raymart Santiago, Vic Sotto and his model-girlfriend, Nina Ricci Alagao and Michael Flores, Jolina Magdangal and James Blanco(?), Lea Salonga and Robert Chien, Nancy Castiglione and Paolo Contis, Edu Manzano and Reggie Aspiras, Bernard Palanca and Rica Peralejo, Jordan Herrera and "J", and, last but not the least, Joyce Jimenez and Mico Palanca.

• Somebody who looked like Quezon City Councilor Aiko Melendez was spotted in Boracay a few days ago with a handsome foreigner who didn’t look like Q.C. Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista, said to be Aiko’s avid suitor (if not yet her boyfriend). They must have been trying to enjoy the remaining days of summer.

• While every other actor or actress and/or radio-TV personality is manifesting early "symptoms" of election fever 2004, Korina Sanchez is firm in her resolve not to run in any election, never mind if several parties have been egging her to make a Senatorial bid. But then, you can never tell what will happen between now and early next year, ‘no? Incidentally, Korina is going to Washington to cover the state dinner President George W. Bush is giving President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on May 19.

* * *

The rest of the world is not aware of it but there’s a silent tug-of-war going on between ABS-CBN and GMA 7 over – brace yourselves – Susan Roces, the enduring Queen of Philippine Movies.

Also, you may not be aware of it (or you may have been too engrossed in keeping track of your favorite teleserye) but the main event in the never-ending network war is now raging in the soap "arena," with the protagonists scrambling over each other to capture the audience with star-studded attractions.

A Funfare DPA huffed and puffed the hot news that both ABS-CBN and GMA 7 are "eyeing" Susan to topbill a soap and, not only because I’m a Susanian, I should say that whichever channel gets Susan’s nod will be a big winner – parang tumama ng jackpot, as they’d say. Susan has been out of sight, all right, appearing only every now and then in TV newscasts to stop speculations that her husband, FPJ, is running in 2004, but she has never been out of the fans’ minds. Susan forever, you know.

Some of her friends are telling Susan that, if ever, she should choose ABS-CBN so that she could be seen by her relatives and fans in the US and other parts of the world through ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel (TFC). Let‘s face it, there are thousands upon thousands of Susanians and other SR lovers scattered around the world eager to see her all over again.

Asked about that possibility (of her doing a soap), Susan simply smiled and said, "A few more pounds and..." maybe? The fact that Susan has been trying to shed extra poundage is a good sign that she is, yes, "amenable". In fact, when Funfare posed the same question to FPJ, he sort of made a Freudian slip by saying, "Siguro mga end of July." Meaning July 28, Susan’s birthday?

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, let’s wait and see.

To whichever channel wins, Funfare has a suggestion: A good role for Susan is a mother, similar to the one played by the late Alicia Vergel in the Lino Brocka movie Inay (one of Lino’s best, I must say), who tries to recapture that old "family-ness" by staying alternatively in the families of her married children, not feeling at home in any of them. It’s a very interesting story, very Filipino, with which any mother and any daughter and any son could easily identify with.

"I like that movie (Inay)," admitted Susan who was directed by Lino in only one movie, Gumising Ka, Maruja, in 1977.

Your move, Charo Santos-Concio (ABS-CBN)!

Your move, Wilma Galvante (GMA 7)!

Incidentally, it’s not only ABS-CBN and GMA 7 which is interested in bringing back Susan. Regal Matriarch Mother Lily is also trying to lure Susan into accepting a yet unspoken offer to play the female lead in the Part 2 (sequel) of the highly-successful Mano Po.

Will Susan, uh, bite?

Portes vs Gong Li at Toronto filmfest?

Don’t look now but Gil M. Portes and top Chinese actress Gong Li might compete for the limelight at the Toronto International Film Festival (non-competition) this September.

You see, Gil’s entry in that prestigious annual Canada event, entitled Homecoming, revolves around SARS which also happens to be the theme of Gong Li’s movie likewise intended for Toronto.

Soon to start shooting, Homecoming stars Alessandra de Rossi (who’s getting to be Gil’s signature star) and Carlo Muñoz, with Amy Austria cast as Alessandra‘s mother. Alessandra (also the star of Gil’s acclaimed Munting Tinig/Small Voices, to be re-released internationally by Warner Bros. starting in July) plays an OFW in Toronto where she’s infected with the dreaded SARS, the same role Gong Li is playing in her movie. Leave it to Gil and his co-writers, Adolf Alix and Senedy Que – the same trio behind Munting Tinig – to weave a touching story around SARS which has put Toronto on the list of cities to be, yes, avoided, because of the alarming number of SARS cases there.

Toronto Filmfest programmer Steve Graves Stock has already assured Gil that Homecoming will be shown at the event of which Gil is now a suki (having shown several of his films there, including Birds Of Prey, Markova: Comfort Gay and Munting Tinig).

Who do you think will get good reviews, Gong Li or Gil M. Portes?

Let’s wait and see.