Only Ali knows

Mark your calendar: Ali Sotto is returning to television on April 4 via the morning show Star Box on GMA 7.

This is another comeback for her (she had to disappear for long periods every so often to be with diplomat husband Omar Bsaes in his postings abroad).

Three years ago, she gave up a daily newscast and a talk show (both in pre-Manny Pangilinan TV5) and her extremely popular radio program with Arnold Clavio on DZBB to join Omar in Madrid, Spain. Prior to that, it was Mexico, also for three years.

In Star Box, she will be joined in some segments by the widely followed radio anchor Papa Jack.

Why don’t you and Ali just have a show together?

That is one question that most friends ask me (writer Senedy Que just did — the other week). I guess people around us ask us that since they are aware that Ali and I are very good friends. I cannot categorically state that she is my best friend because that would be unfair to buddies I’ve had since school days. From her end, I recently wrote about how I have to share her with her other best friend, Atty. Aga Arellano.

Ali and I had never sat down to ponder on us having a show together. We simply know that is not possible.

However, I have to say that, modesty aside, all my interviews with her had-been raters. Startalk executive producer Reylie Manalo is willing to come forward and testify in court for that — if and when necessary.

When it was her turn to interview me in her talk show Ali on Channel 5, we got a lot of positive feedback. While that was being aired, the late Douglas Quijano kept ringing my cell phone, except that I couldn’t pick up since I was in Los Angeles that time. That call was going to be charged to my account.

He eventually sent a text message to tell me what fun it was, especially the part where Ali was able to uncover my original ambition in life: To become a volcanologist. Douglas found it uncanny since I said in the show that every time I would read up and discuss with friends a particular volcano that would become restive and erupt. As I talked about volcanoes that time, Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon was also in the news after emitting ash that blanketed parts of the province.

Ali Sotto (with GMA 7’s Star Box co-anchor Papa Jack) returns to TV on April 4

But going back to the reason why Ali and I can’t have a show together: We know in our heads that if that happens, we would be the only two people who would understand the program’s content and discussion.

The first incident was in the last quarter of 2000. She was leaving for Mexico and Startalk gave her a farewell segment. We began talking about people we had code names for. At the end, instead of plugging her official sponsors, I made her say thank you to the kind lady who gave me an afritada dish that I shared with her.

After the interview, Reylie approached me and asked: What was that interview all about? I didn’t know what to tell her and I couldn’t be sent to the principal’s office since the episode later showed high ratings when the survey sheets came out two days after. No one could complain.

But Ali and I are aware that we can’t go on like that all the time. However, there is no controlling us. Let’s start with the code names. I’m sure she wouldn’t even remember the actual name of Unsolicited. That’s short for Unsolicited Information. That’s how we called a person we both knew and we were annoyed by him because he kept volunteering unsolicited information to us. You may not believe this, but Ali and I never swap gossip. We hate it when those around us tell us details of other people’s lives because we don’t care for those bits of info that do not have any relevance or connection to ours.

And then, of course, there are our secrets. For instance, she is the only person who knows why Madame Auring became my inspiration to succeed and prosper in life. Intriguing? Too, bad we’re not telling.

But until just recently when I decided to throw out old files, I had Madame Auring’s picture kept in one of the folders that contained important documents of my little possessions. That was my inspiration to get to the top. My goal, of course, was not in the same league as Richard Gutierrez and other big names in the business, but within my own realistic level.

Ali was fully aware of that ambition that I eventually accomplished, but after a lot of hard work. Most people within my circle of friends were wondering why I was killing myself to achieve that goal. But then, Ali is only one of the very few who know how my mind operates and — more importantly — that I am not a bad person most others think I am.

She can attest to the fact that I, too, have my good side. But in a way only the two of us can understand.