FPJ’s sentimental trip to Calbayog

Curtain-raisers:

• Could it be true that Maritoni Fernandez and Hans Montenegro have split up? Wasn’t it only middle of last year when they were talking about getting married? What happened?

• Relatives of Michelle Bayle are hurt by insinuations that Michelle’s mention about her mother, Maricel Quintos (one-time Bb. Pilipinas finalist and Miss Manila), being terminally ill of colon cancer is all a publicity stunt. Michelle’s aunt, Leslie Orosa Abrenica (based in Hamilton, Ohio), wrote Funfare that one of Maricel’s last wishes is for Boy Abunda to manage Michelle. Maricel is based in Missassauga, Canada. (Paging Boy Abunda!)

• Congratulations to Madame Violet Sevilla (lady boss of Violett Films) for yet another victory of Magnifico which won five trophies in the PASADA Awards (sponsored by teachers), namely Picture, Director (Maryo J. de los Reyes), Actor (Jiro Manio), Supporting Actor (Albert Martinez) and Cinematography.

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The recent sortie of FPJ and his KNP team (Vice Presidentiable Loren Legarda, etc.) to Samar turned out to be a sentimental journey when FPJ paid retired Bishop Basilio "Basiling" Rosales (brother of the legendary Waray politico Decoroso Rosales) a surprise visit at his resthouse in Calbayog City.

The Bishop, now 90, played a role in the courtship of FPJ and Susan Roces (who, unfortunately, didn’t make it to Samar because she was scheduled to make a "market tour" in Metro Manila that week). Then Father Basiling was a good friend of Sampaguita Pictures and Sampaguitans would hie off to his resthouse for a much-needed break.

It was director Maning Borlaza who introduced Susan to Fr. Basiling who also served as father confessor of Sampaguitans. The joke then was that Fr. Basiling knew Sampaguitans like the lines on his palms, inside-out.

Anyway, one time Susan took a vacation at Fr. Basiling’s resthouse (open to Sampaguitans anytime, all the time) and woke up one morning with a surprise visitor – FPJ. At that time, the sweethearts were having some minor misunderstanding and that surprise visit patched it up, with Fr. Basiling as "mediator."

Last week, FPJ took time out from the campaign and made a detour to Bishop Basiling’s resthouse, accompanied by Eddie Garcia. The Funfare DPA was mum on what the two talked about. They sealed their reunion with FPJ kissing the Bishop’s hand as soon as he arrived and before he left.

Calbayog is one of the places memorable to FPJ and Susan because they marked certain chapters of their romance. Another such place is the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel where FPJ announced late last year his intention to run for President. It was at the Fiesta Pavilion where they first met in 1964 during a birthday bash for Bobby Vasquez, Susan’s fellow Sampaguitan.

Meanwhile, like the FPJ-Loren provincial campaign, Susan’s palengke tour (including Nepa-Q Mart, Quiapo, etc.) was a smash hit. She was accompanied by, among others, Regal Matriarch Mother Lily, Marichu "Manay Ichu" Maceda and Barbara Perez.

Susan and company plan to visit more palengkes soon.

Watch out for Mrs. Palengke.

Should I say, move over, (Senatoriable) Mar Roxas, the self-proclaimed Mr. Palengke?

Will Gretchen Say ‘Hi!’ To Her ‘Mom-In-Law’?

Those invited to the wedding of Assunta de Rossi and Rep. Jules Ledesma on Sunday, March 14, at the Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati City, should keep their eyes – and ears – open for a probable little drama involving Gretchen Barretto and her "mother-in-law" (take note: in quotation marks) Imelda Cojuangco.

You see, Gretchen is listed among the secondary sponsors (veil), with her beloved Tonyboy Cojuangco as partner. Also in the entourage as one of the principal sponsors is Tonyboy’s mother, Imelda, who, as everybody knows, doesn’t see eye-to-eye with Gretchen.

The two ladies haven’t seen or talked to each other since six years ago when Inquirer put out an interview with Madame Imelda which Gretchen found "unfavorable" to her.

A Funfare DPA said that Tonyboy has politely begged off as secondary sponsor (Senatoriable Jinggoy Estrada is being tapped as "proxy") but Gretchen is staying put. She was overheard by the Funfare DPA saying: "Why shouldn’t I go? It’s a showbiz event and showbiz is my world."

Will Madame Imelda back out or will she stay put, too? How will the two ladies react when they bump into each other? Will they swap "Hi’s!"? Or will they pretend they don’t see each other? Who will blink first?

If I were Gretchen, I’d go out of my way and kiss Madame Imelda. It’s about time the animosity is laid to rest. After all, whether they like it or not, they now belong to one big family, don’t they?

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