The Funfare DPA (deeply embedded in the Almoro family) insisted, swearing to God and crossing her heart and hoping to die, that Willie and Liz have split up for good after barely two years of marriage and a cute son born in October last year, and that Liz is consulting celebrity lawyer Katrina Legarda (coming home from a US vacation day after tomorrow) for the possibility of filing a petition for annulment.
On the other hand, another DPA (deeply embedded in the Revillame enclave) also insisted, swearing to God and crossing her heart and hoping to die, that Liz has gone back home to her and Willie’s lovenest in Ayala Heights, Quezon City, after she and Willie had one of their quarrels common among couples.
"The fight happened two months ago," clarified the "Revillame DPA," "and Liz left home and stayed with her mom. But she has gone back. In fact, only three days ago, she planted a tree (at the backyard, presumably) ordered straight from Hawaii."
The couple lives in an P18-million house which Willie bought with a down payment of P10 million (earnings from commercials), with the balance payable with P.5-million every month (post-dated checks duly issued).
"It’s not true that the house was given to the couple by Liz’s rich mom (engaged in selling expensive cars, including BMWs)," said the "Revillame DPA." "Although Liz’s mom did give expensive swarovski chandeliers as gift."
No third party was involved, according to the "Revillame DPA."
"Talagang away mag-asawa lang."
Well and good if that is so. Funfare hopes and prays that Willie and Liz (and other showbiz couples in the same situation) can iron things out and get back together again. Willie’s career is going great and all would be meaningless if his family suffers.
Maybe Willie can clear things when he comes back tomorrow from Las Vegas where he hosted a successful staging of Wowowee two Sundays ago. He was supposed to fly in today but he delayed his departure to help Wowowee director Edgar Mortiz who lost his passport and other valuables (and those of other family members) in a bukas-kotse incident.
There were hundreds of people (contestants, handlers, etc.) backstage at the Palladium where the finals were held and it was easy for anybody to lose not just a shoe.
"But I wasn’t unfazed," Juaquin told Funfare. "My mind was focused on performing well."
Juaquin brought home golds for Best in Original Composition (he sang the Ryan Cayabyab song Sometime Somewhere) and Best in Gospel Music (You Are the Reason, the Gary Valenciano version), and silvers for Best in Contemporary Music (Barry Manilow’s Weekend in New England) and Best in Broadway Music (I Dream a Dream from Les Miserables).
The competition was tough ("Tougher than last year," said Juaquin, where Jed Madela emerged as the biggest champion with almost more than a dozen awards/medals) but most (almost all, in fact) of the 21-plus Filipino delegates came home with awards/medals from the Olympics where 52 countries participated (more than 200 from the US alone and two planeloads from South Africa).
Was it beginner’s luck in the case of Juaquin who has never joined any contest at all, whether international or local?
Maybe – and more.
"I did prepare for the Olympics," said Juaquin (Juaquin Tungol, one of 10 children of a political family from Angeles City, Pampanga). "I took a crash course under Arnold Reyes who listened to my entries, all four of which are significant to me. "Days before the competition, I refrained from talking. I didn’t take cold drinks for one month."
Now a Galaxy Records contract artist (which released his self-titled album), Juaquin (using the name Kenneth Garcia) co-hosted Kuya Germs’ That’s Entertainment (with Ara Mina, Patricia Javier and Maricar de Mesa among his batchmates) for one year. Then, he was signed up by Warner Music which included him in the boyband Wiseguys with whom Juaquin performed for two years. He went solo, signed up with Viva Records before he joined Galaxy Records.
Asked what he learned from the Hollywood Olympics, Juaquin said, "The courage to compete and the humility to accept defeat," said Juaquin. "I didn’t have that courage before the Olympics."
Most members of Bernard’s family (including his mom Pita Revilla and her sisters Maritess and Tina, and Bernard’s stepfather) were present but not one from Meryll’s family (neither her mom Becbec nor her aunt Maricel Soriano) came. Meryll’s father, Willie Revillame is still in Las Vegas after the staging of his show Wowowee there.
Meryll left home three weeks ago, turning a deaf ear to her mom and other family members who tried to convince her to delay her and Bernard’s wedding plans since they’re still recuperating from ‘undisclosed ailments.’ Meryll was confined at the Medical City Pasig City and Bernard at the Makati Med.
‘We chose to get married on Sept. 8 because it’s Mama Mary’s birthday,’ said Meryll.