LINGGO NG madaling-araw (it’s during these unholy hours when we experience adrenalin rush) nang i-text namin ang kaibigang Cristy Fermin, and she knew what our purpose was.
Pero ipinauna na namin ang aming pang-unawa kung sakaling tumanggi siyang magbigay ng kanyang panig (or at least the side of the production) tungkol sa umano’y pambabastos sa co-host niyang si Ruffa Gutierrez sa Paparazzi the previous day. Part of Cristy’s text reply was: “Okey lang ba, anak, kung pass muna ako?” We did not force the issue anymore.
Martes nang makakuha kami ng kolum ni Cristy sa isang tabloid, doon na niya isiniwalat ang buong pangyayari sa likod ng Bulong ng Palad segment, kung saan — as a birthday gimmick (Ruffa celebrated her birthday last June 24) — iniupo si Ruffa.
Partikular na idinepensa ni Cristy ang mga manunulat na bumubuo ng bahaging ‘yon, Ruffa was made aware of what could possibly happen, maging ang mga tanong na maaari naman niyang huwag nang sagutin ay klaro sa kanya. Nothing was hidden under the rug, ‘ika nga.
Ipinagtataka rin ni Cristy ang tila kawalan naman ng pagkapikon ni Ruffa when they all descended the set (stage) after the show. Nag-imbita pa nga raw ito sa kanyang selebrasyon, an obvious sign that after the segment — which she claimed had treated her with disrespect — it was no big deal for Ruffa.
But her successive tweets betrayed her happy mood, ito na ang ikinawindang ng lahat ng kanyang mga kasamahan sa Paparazzi. Maging ang ina ni Ruffa na si Annabelle Rama dipped her finger into the large jar of controversy, resorting to name-calling against the segment writers.
Instantly, nag-flash back sa aming kamalayan ang halos kaparehong insidente that took place in Startalk in 1995. Live guest noon si Ruffa, si Kris Aquino ang nakatokang mag-interbyu sa kanya, at ang inyong lingkod ang writer assigned to that segment.
If our memory served us right, ikalawa o ikatlong episode pa lang ‘yon ng noo’y Sunday show (that piloted in October) na live isinasagawa sa Broadway Centrum. Tulad ng karaniwang sequence whenever there is a live guest, the segment is always preceded by a VTR material about the subject.
Hindi nagustuhan ni Ruffa ang nilalaman ng naturang VTR, with reference to her involvement (in fairness, hindi lang naman siya, there were many of them) in the infamous 1995 Manila Film Festival scam as admittedly engineered by Lolit Solis (na host din ng Startalk).
Emotions were building up in Ruffa while the VTR was on air. Kris paused for a commercial break. Nang magbalik sa ere, halatang namumugto ang mga mata ni Ruffa. Kris apologized, but pointed her accusing finger at whoever was the writer assigned to the segment.
Just when we thought that the waves were calm, we — in the production — as a matter of practice would hole ourselves in at the pantry. Mula sa aming kinaroroonan, dinig na dinig namin ang malakas na boses coming from the outside. The voice belonged to Annabelle Rama.
Moments later, nakapasok na sila ng kanyang anak na si Rocky sa loob ng pantry. At hanggang dito na lang po ang aming kuwento.
Ang nais naming sabihin ay ang responsableng tungkulin ng mga manunulat sa TV. Personally, we could only sympathize with the Paparazzi writers, most specially the ones behind the Bulong ng Palad segment, whose painstaking efforts to serve as the “soul” of any program of whatever genre are forgotten, if not unappreciated.
Kailanman, hindi intensiyon ng mga abang manggagawang ito — ourselves included — na babuyin, bastusin o balahurain ang sinumang panauhin — artista man o hindi, sikat man o hindi — as we should respect them as much as we should respect our profession.
RIOT ANG Face To Face ngayong Biyernes dahil maingay na nakisawsaw ang mga taga-Baseco sa Port Area, Manila sa episode na pinamagatang Taxi Driver Sa Bunganga Ng Kinakasama’y Aburido Kaya Tiyan Ng Pasahero Pinalobo! Bida rito si Jhake na nakabuntis ng kanyang pasaherong si Maricel, dahil hindi na rin daw niya masikmura ang sobrang pagbubunganga at hidhid sa perang kinakasama niya na si Jenelyn.
Note, sa pamagat ng episode nito ay nabanggit ang mga human organs na “bunganga” at “tiyan,” pero pasintabi lang po sa mga nakatira roon, isn’t this community known for a vital organ na naiuulat na pinagkakakitaan ng ilang mga kalalakihan doon?
“BATU-BATO” po sa langit… ano naman kaya ang masasabi ng “KID” NI Jhake sa pagtataksil ng kanyang ama?
Pepperoni
by Ronnie Carrasco III
