A lesson for Sarah

And it came to pass that, after letting off steam (what a steam!!!) in that landmark 40-page-plus tell-all interview with Yes! magazine, Sarah Geronimo made the first move to make peace with Cristine Reyes during last Sunday’s ASAP Rocks. Watch full video

As followers of The Buzz must know by now, Sarah recalled that she forgot something (an eyeliner?) at the dressing room and when she went back she saw Cristine at the door. There and then, Sarah bridged their yawning gap with a hug, saying she had actually just been waiting for the right time to make a closure on the issue arising from their rivalry over Rayver Cruz, Sarah’s “past” who is Cristine’s “present.”

“Was it wrong for Sarah to do it?” Sarah mom, the controversial Divine, asked Funfare yesterday during the lunch blowout at Sentosa hosted by Star Cinema for the (advance) success of Catch Me…I’m in Love which opened also yesterday. The movie, directed by Mae Czarina Cruz, started drawing long lines at box offices nationwide. Also starring with Sarah are Gerald Anderson and Matteo Guidicelli who were also at the blowout.

No, I assured Divine, it was magnanimous of Sarah to have done that, a sign of humility.

co-star Matteo Guidicelli and director Mae Czarina Cruz

Was it for real or a gimmick for the movie (you know, to draw sympathy for Sarah)?

Well, whatever it was, Sarah’s move was a good one. After all, it’s Lenten Season and it’s time to unload emotional baggage. It’s always better to travel light through life, isn’t it?

“Actually,” explained Sarah, “hindi ko naisip ‘yon (the gimmick angle) bago ko ginawa ‘yon; I didn’t think what people would say. Basta ako, ginawa ko kung ano ‘yung nasa puso ko. ‘Yon lang!”

Asked what was the best lesson that she learned from the incident, it took Sarah time to answer, “Ahhh, napaka-importante ng salita ng magulang, sundin ang mother’s instinct,” and, turning to Gerald, added, “’yan nga ang payo ko kay Gerald na bago ka pumasok sa isang situwasyon, pakinggan ang sasabihin ng pamilya, ng mga kaibigan natin, at huwag puso lang ang susundin.” 

Matteo was all ears. He has been vocal about his crush for Sarah from way back, long before he joined showbiz (Catch Me is his movie debut).

Later during a one-on-one, asked if he would court Sarah given a chance, since he claimed that he’s fancy-free (and remains a good friend to Kim Chiu who was nothing more than his screen sweetheart), Gerald said, “As I’ve been saying, Sarah is a girlfriend material. She’s down-to-earth, she loves her family. But it’s not the right time because of what she has just gone through.” Watch related video

And what has Divine learned from the whole, hmmmm, mess?

“Ganoon pa rin,” said Divine who adheres to the power of prayer. “As a parent, I have to protect my children. Kahit sino namang magulang ‘yan ang gustong gawin, di ba?”

Briefly noted

•  Laguna Board Member Angelica Jones (photo) said on national television while being interviewed on the issue between her and Illac Diaz (photo), “Bilang Board Member, puede ko siyang ipabugbog o ipakulong pero hindi ko ginawa dahil naaawa ako sa kanya.” Oops! Strong words, those, which are not supposed to tumble out of a public official’s mouth. Whatever their differences are, whether concerning affairs of the heart or projects for the underprivileged, Angelica or any public official for that matter has no right to make threatening statements like that. Illac could sue her for grave threat, couldn’t he? Will Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito reprimand Angelica or at least warn her against making irresponsible public statements that don’t reflect well on the provincial government?

•  When Ruffa Gutierrez (right) likened her role as a producer in the new TV5 soap Nagbabagang Bulaklak to ABS-CBN boss Charo Santos-Concio (far right) — you know, “Super nice pero nasa loob ang kulo” — what she meant, she would correct herself later, was that her producer role is like Charo, “super nice,” but in the soap and not Charo in real life, “nasa loob ang kanyang kulo.” Many years ago when Ruffa was probably only a toddler, Charo played a scheming and ruthless movie producer in Lino Brocka’s Kontrobersyal (with Gina Alajar as aspiring star and Philip Salvador as the producer’s boytoy). Yes, Ruffa’s description perfectly fits Charo’s unforgettable portrayal in that classic Brocka movie (still shown every now and then on Cinema One): Super nice on the outside, pero nasa loob ang kulo. Incidentally, Funfare asked Charo for a little comment on the non-issue but she didn’t reply.

•  There’s a little debate who between Ai-Ai delas Alas (upper photo, for Star Cinema’s Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat, Last Na ‘To) and Toni Gonzaga (lower photo, Star Cinema’s My Amnesia Girl) should be crowned Box-Office Queen of 2010 by an organization that raises funds annually for its scholarship project. Pinagdidibatihan pa raw. What!?! A “scholarship foundation” has no authority declaring who the box-office “king” or “queen” is, and only the rightful ones have — meaning theater-owners, bookers and producers. I agree with Tempo’s Ronald Constantino who once wrote that nobody else but the authorities mentioned above have the right to confer such “titles” because it’s them who hold the records.

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