The truth about Ogie and Michelle... and Regine!

So which travels faster than light?

Sound, of course!

And which travels even faster than sound?

Tsismis! Or didn’t you know?

Thanks to the telephone or the telegram or the Internet?

Guess again.

Thanks to texting, the country’s newest national sport.

I just came back from a two-day (48 hours, to be exact) working trip to Los Angeles, from July 25 to 27, to interview the stars of Columbia Pictures’ S.W.A.T., led by Colin Farrell, Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J and Michelle Rodriguez. As soon as I landed Friday evening at the L.A. airport from Manila on PAL flight 102, a showbiz-oriented Pinoy (whom I didn’t know from Eve) asked me pointblank, "Naghiwalay na nga ba sina Ogie (Alcasid) and Michelle (van Eimeren) dahil nabuntis ni Ogie si Regine (Velasquez)?"

I was stumped, tongue-tied for several seconds before I could mumble while trying to shake off jet lag, "I doubt; I don’t think so!" The Pinoy fan said her Quezon City-based cousin texted to her that "scoop." Oh, I see!

I didn’t tell her that I, too, heard that sad/shocking rumor as early as three weeks ago, letting it enter one ear and out the other ear. Unbelievable, I told myself. Aren’t the Alcasids, blessed with two beautiful daughters (Leila, 6; and Sarah, barely seven-months old), an ideal family, free from intrigues and nasty rumors (featured in The STAR only several weeks ago)?

When I came back yesterday morning on PAL flight 103 (with Donita Rose among my co-passengers...sans her brand-new husband, Eric Villarama...but more on her in a later issue), first thing I did was call up Ogie to find out the truth and nothing but, once and for all.

For a second, Ogie was silent at the other end of the line. Did he collapse from, uh, shock? A sign of, uh, guilt? Was he trying to, uh, skirt the issue?

"I heard about it, too," Ogie said as soon as he found his voice, "from my manager, Leo (Dominguez). I simply ignored it because it’s not true. And then, it came out as a blind item in one tabloid and I thought, ‘Oh, no! It’s spreading!’ And here you are, calling to verify."

First, according to Ogie, it’s not true that he got Regine pregnant.

"Regine is my best friend, my buddy and my workmate. That’s all. Beyond that, wala kaming ibang relasyon."

Second, "Michelle and I have not separated and are not separating. Our marriage is as strong and as happy and as solid as ever."

Third, "I didn’t drive Michelle away. In fact, I accompanied her and our children to Australia and I just came back. They’re staying in our new house in Robertson, New South Wales, while I remain in our rented house in Acropolis, Quezon City – alone."

Elaborating on why Michelle and their children had to go to Australia, Ogie said that Michelle, being an Australian citizen, receives regular advisory from the Australian Embassy, including the latest one which advised Australian citizens against travelling to the Philippines after the "escape" of Al-Ghozi and Australian citizens living in the Philippines to be extra careful.

"Michelle is as maputi and as foreign-looking as any Australian so we didn’t want to take chances; we didn’t want her and our children to be exposed to... well, you know. Michelle and I have been planning to have them stay in Australia where the children can feel safe and avail of a better education. Besides, due to pollution, Michelle and the children have been very sickly. One time, Michelle and Leila were hospitalized due to dengue."

With his family now safely settled in Robertson, Ogie can breathe freely now. It’s Michelle’s parents keeping her and the children company. Michelle is an only child.

Despite the nasty rumor, Ogie is pushing through with his professional partnership with Regine with whom he has collaboratred on several songs (Pangarap Kong Ibigin Ka, Pangako, Kailangan Kita and the new release Magpakailanman which they are now promoting). They’re working on more albums.

On Aug. 27, his 36th birthday, Ogie will be in Robertson, Australia, for a double celebration (his birthday and the house blessing).

In closing, Ogie said, "More than anything, nakakahiya kay Regine ang tsismis na ’yon," adding, "I don’t know how Michelle will react when she hears about it."

Martin, Too, Denies Rumor

Two weeks ago, Funfare the good "news" in Curtain-raisers that Martin Nievera and Katrina Ojeda have kissed and made up after they broke up two months ago over, according to the grapevine, Martin’s closeness to one-time TV Weather Girl Cutie del Mar (who remained intriguingly quiet through it all, neither denying nor confirming the rumor linking her to Martin).

Anyway, Martin texted me (see how fast and convenient and effective this 21st-century invention is!) from Virginia Beach (Virginia, USA) where he’s taking a vacation with family that the Funfare report was no true.

"People have been texting me, asking if Katrina and I did kiss and make up. No, we haven’t kissed and made up. The truth is that my lovelife is a mess and I want to sort it out away from the media glare. I am miserable and I want to keep to myself for the time being."

So there. We’ll have to leave Martin alone – for the time being.

Martin forgot to mention if Cutie is with his "family" in Virginia Beach. Or where Katrina is at the moment. Has she gone back to the States after a brief trip home where she attended a relative’s wedding?

Patricia Loses $20,000 Worth Of Jewelry In San Francisco

While I was in L.A., my friends Raoul Tidalgo and Edmund Silvestre (staffers of the New York-based The Filipino Reporter) texted me (as I was saying...) the sad news that Patricia Javier lost her Bvlgari jewelry worth $20,000 in San Francisco where she and other Filipino talents had a show over the weekend.

It was Patricia herself who relayed the sad news to Raoul and Edmund when she visited the Reporter office in Manhattan.

The good news is that the Sanfo police was able to recover the jewelry which Patricia lost at her hotel (unidentified). Her handler (named Joey) had to fly back to Sanfo to claim the jewlery.

Lost and found. Next time, Patricia should be more careful.

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