THAT MARIAN Rivera has broken free from Popoy Caritativo’s management office is—as far as most members of the press are concerned—welcome news.
Like a married couple na dumadaan sa tinatawag na seven-year itch (ito ‘yung either of the parties ceases to be passionate towards his partner kapag sumasampa na ang ikapitong taon ng kanilang pagsasama), pitong taon din pagkatapos nang ma-realize ni Marian that there have been hitches with the way Popoy has managed her career.
Kesyo hindi na raw siya productive, aside from the fact that Popoy would often get in the way of her decisions. Pero hindi raw masisisi ni Marian kung tila hawak siya sa leeg ng manager. A self-confessed naïve promdi (makaprobinsiyana naman ang hitad, eh, taga-Cavite lang naman siya!), she gave Popoy the upperhand to decide for her.
Ang hindi lang namin mawari sa gesture ng pakikipaghiwalay ni Marian kay Popoy ay kung bakit idinaan pa niya ito sa isang sulat? Sa liham daw niyang ‘yon isiniwalat ang kanyang mga saloobin, which Popoy—in fairness—perfectly understood.
Sa aspetong Popoy wanted to seek a dialogue with Marian ay nauunawaan namin, basta na lang ba kasi sa pamamagitan ng sulat ibabasura ang pitong taon nilang professional relationship? Sa puntong ‘yon sumablay si Marian considering na ang public image pa mandin niya ay palaban at prangka.
Para sa amin, Marian’s stating her reason in letter form was bereft of professionalism and decency.
Anyway, ang paglayas ni Marian sa kuwadra ni Popoy was warmly received ng halos nakararaming reporter who feel left out sa pagiging selective ng manager sa mga type lang niyang imbitahin sa mga event ng kanyang alaga, say, Christmas party. Popoy has this tendency na mamersonal ng mga reporter who are highly critical of Marian, and as a result, the actress, too, is perceived to be press-unfriendly.
IS THE entertainment media unkind to Jackie Forster, and in fact, sympathetic to her ex-husband Benjie Paras?
Sa interview ng Startalk sa kanya, naglabas ng hinaing si Jackie sa ilang nae-edit out na portion ng kanyang mga panayam lalo’t tungkol ‘yon sa kaso nila ni Benjie.
We, being the writer ng Startalk feature na ‘yon na umere nitong Sabado, had to balance the issue. Kinailangan naming kunin ang panig ni Benjie to present both sides. Since we could not get Benjie to talk, efforts still had to be exhausted para patas ang lalabas na kuwento.
Sa isang banda, naiintindihan namin ang posisyon ni Benjie, matagal na nga namang isyu ang tungkol sa pagnanais na makita ni Jackie ang kanilang dalawang binatilyong anak. Bagama’t the custody of the two kids was granted in favour of Benjie, ayon sa source ng Startalk, never ipinagkait ng kampo ni Benjie ang karapatan ni Jackie na madalaw ang mga bata.
Giit ng aming source, taong 2008 daw nang bisitahin pa ni Jackie ang dalawang bagets on three separate occasions. In one of her visits—although masakit para sa ina—the kids bluntly told their mom why they would rather live without her.
Nabubuhay lang daw ang matagal nang tahimik na isyu whenever Jackie comes home. For years now, Jackie has been shuttling between Malaysia and Singapore kaugnay na rin ng kanyang trabaho bilang mahusay na hairstylist. Happily married na rin siya sa isang Dutch.
Lately, Jackie seems to have pressed the “active mode” in social media, again bringing the issue out on Benjie and his wife. Kasabay nito ay ang mapagkumbabang pag-amin ni Jackie ng kanyang mga kasalanan noon which she’s now repenting for. Aniya, nagbago na siya mula sa noo’y pakawala niyang gawain.
Pero hirit uli ng source ng Startalk, ‘yun daw ba ang nagbago? Why does Jackie daw have to resort to social media to vent her emotions kung saan libu-libo ang nakababasa ng kanyang mga sentimyento?
Personally, nalulungkot kami para kay Jackie.
Natanggalan na siya ng kanyang maternal right sa kanyang mga anak, worse, she’s now deprived of her right to convince some people that she has changed for the better.
Pepperoni
by Ronnie Carrasco III
