Cito Beltran: Was he or wasn’t he?

In case you haven’t noticed, Cito Beltran has disappeared as Karen Davila’s co-anchor on the ABS-CBN late-night newscast Insider.There are all sorts of speculations why, including one that said Cito incurred the ire of management when he refused to read a piece of news derogatory to a presidential candidate. That rumor was just that – a rumor.

Now, did he or didn’t he? Resign from Insider, that is.

The answer is no.

Was he or wasn’t he? "Kicked out" of Insider, that is.

The answer is no.

My suspicion (and this was confirmed by an ABS-CBN "insider") is that Cito came on "too weak" (mahina ang dating) as a newscaster, often bungling his lines (read from the teleprompter), in contrast to Karen who has a confident, forceful voice and delivers the news without blinking or bungling her lines. In short, Cito just didn’t gel with Karen in that kind of program and excels instead in a talk show like Straight Talk which he hosts for the ANC Channel (and the defunct Isyu which he co-hosted with Korina Sanchez on ABS-CBN).

It’s actually a case of win-some-lose-some because after Insider, Cito will have his own show, Straight From the Shoulder (title of the show hosted by his late father, Louie Beltran, on GMA 7), that will take the Thursday night timeslot (on ABS-CBN) to be vacated by Dong Puno Live.

Meanwhile, Karen is having Erwin Tulfo as Insider co-host. They blend very well, don’t they?

Janna’s Noble Mission

When Janna Victoria turned a year wiser last Saturday, May 29, she veered away from the usual showbiz "tradition" of holding a big party at a posh venue. Instead, Janna again celebrated with more than six dozen cancer-stricken children at the Adidas Sports Kamp in Fort Bonifacio, with ex-boyfriend Dominic Ochoa giving her moral support, along with Janna’s friends Ara Mina, Stella Ruiz, Bobby Yan and Ina Raymundo.

The whole afternoon, Janna and her friends entertained the children with songs and dances and other gimmicks designed to distract the kiddie patients from the Big C even for just a while.

What many people don’t know is that Janna has been celebrating her birthday with sick kids – "My noble mission," Janna told Funfare.

Four years ago when she was in Japan, Janna caught a show on TV about Kythe Foundation’s project (among others) of cheering up young cancer patients. Janna forgot about it until two years ago when she accompanied Dominic to fetch a nine-year-old bone cancer patient who wished to see the hosts (Dominic included) of Whattamen in person, part of the show’s Make a wish portion.

"The child warmed up to me at once," said Janna who, two years earlier, had been doing her bit for the Bantay-Bata Foundation. "He was happy everytime I visited him and, I was told, turned suddenly sad as soon as I’d leave. Unfortunately, he died barely two weeks later."

The experience made Janna realize that she could lift the spirit of the sick, thus her decision to celebrate her birthday with kiddie cancer patients.

Asked why she and Dominic broke up last year just when the movie press was predicting they would get married, Janna said it was for the good of both of them.

"There was no third party," insisted Janna. "The decision came from me. I wanted Dom to be able to devote full time to his career. But we have remained good friends."

Yes, said Janna, she’s dating but she isn’t going steady with somebody else.

In the meantime, she’s busy promoting her Janna Victoria Whitening Papaya Soap.

Fr. Corsie’s Healing Sked

As requested by Funfare readers, here’s Fr. Corsie Legaspi’s healing-retreats schedule for the third quarter of 2004. (Note: Clip this portion and paste it on the wall, so you won’t be calling Funfare to verify.)

• Healing the Wounds of Separation (June 26 and 27) – A retreat for men and women struggling with the emotional pains of separation; designed to help participants work out their repressed grief or anger in a non-judgmental setting.

• Healing for the Sick and Their Caregivers (July 24 and 25) – A retreat for the terminally-ill (and their caregivers) aimed at enlightening themn on the realities of death and dying, and helping them cope with their illness.

• Reinventing Yourself (Aug. 28 and 29) – A retreat for men and women who wish to take a good hard look at themselves and their failures, learn to manage their own self-analysis, and dare to reinvent themselves where needed.

• Spiritual Enpowerment Through Meditation (Sept. 18 and 19) – A retreat for men and women who seek a deeper spiritual life. Meditation awakens the participants to vision and values, makes them honest with themselves and helps them direct their life choices.

(Note: All retreats will be held at the Coming Home Retreat and Meditation Center in Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite. For inquiries and registration, call 046-434-8759 or 046-878-0069, or cellphone number 0917-6055428, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.)

(E-mail reactions at [email protected])