`Unpredictable' encounters with Madame Auring

The gullibility -- and credibility? -- of the media is put to the test by the antics of Madame Auring, the erstwhile turbanned matron who has styled herself as the Jeanne Dixon of Asia (Dixon must be frantically shuffling her tarot cards in her grave).

Anytime she wants to get to the headlines (thank God The STAR didn't bite her bait), all Madame Auring has to do is -- no, not hurl her crystal ball at media practitioners like this one -- but spin imaginary tales, such as the one about her impending marriage to Victor Wood (twice married and, as far as Funfare knows, living happily with wife somewhere in Marikina or Antipolo).

From the way he sounded in a TV interview, it seemed that Victor is the last to know about their impending marriage (maybe Madame Auring hasn't duly informed him about it yet). Madame Auring is claiming that Victor is her first love, that she and Victor carried on a romance ages ago when Victor was the Victor Wood crooning Jack Jones ditties in the early '70s.

Shall we leave the unpredictable Madame Auring to her imagination?

Not just yet.

I myself have a few interesting encounters with Madame Auring during her "turbanned" days. One was during the wake for movie writer Leti Celi's father in Balic-Balic, Sampaloc, Manila, where Leti and Madame Auring spent their childhood.

Somebody introduced me to Madame saying, "Madame Auring, ito po si Ricky." Breaking into a come-on smile, Madame Auring promptly held my palm and told me, "You will be a millionaire at age 40 and then you will be a Senator!" (Of course, I didn't become a millionaire at 40, and neither did I become a Senator -- not that I have the ambition nor the qualifications to be one.)

And then, she said something that floored me and other people around. "Iho, bakit hindi mo ako iniimbita sa Star Awards?" I was perplexed. What had I got to do with the Star Awards? I said, "I have nothing to do with the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC of which was vice-president to Ethel Ramos in the early '70s) which runs the Star Awards."

"Di ba ikaw si Ricky Calderon (then PMPC president)?" she asked.

I could have said, "O, hindi mo nahulaan na hindi ako si Ricky Calderon, ano?" but I was polite enough so I said instead, "A, hindi po!"

Our next interesting encounter came when then President-elect Fidel Ramos was honored with a dinner at the Manila Polo Club by the movie producers. After the affair, I and two companions were waiting for the valet to get the car when Madame Auring sidled up to me (I was shooting the breeze with Seiko boss Robbie Tan and the late Oskee Salazar who were also waiting for their ride).

Oskee introduced me to Madame Auring. "Ito si Ricky Lo." She must have misheard Oskee because, again, she took my palm and told me, "Mananalo ka ng Best Scriptwriting award!" This time, I wasn't very polite so I told her, "O hindi mo nahulaan na hindi ako si Ricky Lee, ano?"

I could still hear the laughter of Oskee reverberating in the sprawling Manila Polo Club.

So after these encounters with Madame Auring, I took with a grain of salt her announcement about Victor and their impending wedding.

My own prediction?

Oh, well, the wedding might have to be scrapped because Victor might "back out" at the last minute, so Madame Auring would have no choice but to postpone that headline-making "grand event."

Madame Auring is taking the media for a joy ride and she's enjoying it to the hilt!

It's a good thing Madame Auring didn't choose Jose Mari Chan to be her future "lawfully-wedded husband." Otherwise, she couldn't predict what the outcome would be.

Speaking of Jose Mari, for the past two years, he has been doing Valentine shows in the US where Filipino residents (and Americans as well) swoon to his rendition of old familiar love songs, mostly his own.

Last weekend, Jose Mari flew to London on a business trip and from there, he'll proceed to Chicago for a Valentine concert at the elegant Chateau Ritz. And then he'll go to Guam for a post-Valentine concert with The CompanY.

Of course, Jose Mari will be joined by his wife Mary Ann Ansalado for the third time they're spending Valentine's Day abroad.

In the wake of the split-up of talents and managers (Dolor Guevarra and Wowie de Guzman, Shirley Kuan and Geneva Cruz, Vera Isberto and Jao Mapa), the Philippine Artist Managers, Inc. (PAMI) has issued the following statement (from PAMI president June T. Rufino):

As a matter of policy, PAMI does not meddle in the private and personal matters between artists and their artist managers.

Our vision is for a progressive and harmonious industry.

PAMI firmly encourages a peaceful and professional separation between artist and artist managers.

We would like people to understand that we managers work to protect the artists and interests of the industry, and very often, way ahead of ourselves.

PAMI shall continue to support and respect individual decisions made by our members and respective artists in the pursuit of their professional goals and objectives.

According to June, "There is no formal complaint from Dolor against Wowie, nor from Vera against Jao. Sometimes things can be blown out of proportion."

* The Nora Aunor starrer Sidhi premieres at 8 o'clock tonight on Solar Entertainment (Home Cable Channel 25).

* Movies to watch for: Jessica Lange's Cousin Bette on Star Movies on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 9 p.m.; and Aya Medel's Molata on Viva Cinema also on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 10 p.m.

* Fresh from the success of its first scriptwriting workshop last December '99. Grupong Tinta will hold its 2nd Film & TV Scriptwriting Workshop at Paraiso Beach Resort in Guis-Guis, Sariaya, Quezon. The workshop will run for three days and two nights. It will be divided into two groups, the first will be on Feb. 18, 19 and 20 and the second on March 3, 4 and 5. Only 35 participants will be included per group. No professional writing experience is necessary. There will be a registration on Feb. 5 and 6. Interested parties, regardless of age and occupation may call Rahyan Carlos 435-38-01; pager 1277-22416; cell phone 0917-4097031. Or call Luciano B. Carlos at 439-43-25.