Cesar’s The Great Raid showing Aug. 12 in US

The first good news is that Cesar Montano will be a father again in December. His wife, Sunshine Cruz, has confirmed to Funfare that she’s two months pregnant this week with her and Cesar’s third child. The couple’s two children are girls.

"We didn’t plan this," Sunshine told Funfare, "because our younger daughter is only eight months old. But we welcome the baby anyway. Blessing from God."

Besides his children with Sunshine, Cesar has two other children with his late (first) wife.

And the second good news about Cesar?

Well, his Hollywood debut, The Great Raid, will finally open in US theaters on Aug. 12. This piece of good news was relayed to Funfare by Los Angeles-based reader Bryna Ocampo who got the information from the US magazine Entertainment Weekly.

Good for Cesar and the movie, which was wrongly reported to have gone straight to video.

"Unlike in the Philippines where movies are usually shown immediately after the shooting," explained Bryna, "in the US, they make sure that the timing and booking are right. I admire Cesar’s work; I saw him in Rizal and Muro-Ami."

The Great Raid had a few advance invitational screenings here early this year. Shot entirely in Australia (a set was made to look like a Philippine village, actual setting of the novel about the rescue of American soldiers during the Second World War), it stars Benjamin Bratt and James Franco (who played the title role in the telemovie about James Dean and, among other films, as the villain in Spider-Man 2).

Siya, siya, siya! Palagi na lang ba siya?

I sympathize with BJ/Tolits, who must have been traumatized when a trigger-happy hothead poked a gun at his mother, Analiza Nuque-Forbes, all because mother and son got to a parking space ahead in front of a grocery in Taytay, Rizal.

BJ/Tolits is the cute boy who caught the fancy of the public when he blurted out "Ako, ako, ako; palagi na lang ako!" in that Tide commercial (the latest version of which shows BJ/Tolits as the only boy in a group whose shirt has been cleaned lily-white by his mom). That commercial served as BJ/Tolits’ ticket to showbiz. He now appears regularly on several GMA shows, including Eat, Bulaga!, Lovely Day, Bahay Mo Ba ’To and the new gag show Bubble Gang Jr.

How did BJ/Tolits land that Tide commercial?

"He auditioned," said Mom Analiza. "Nag-VTR siya, along with more than 700 kids last year. A talent scout saw BJ when he joined the StarStruck Kids search. He didn’t win but he got the Tide commercial."

Born Bernard Jocel Forbes on March 27, 1998, BJ/Tolits first appeared in the just-concluded GMA fantaserye Mulawin (where he played Niwalum, Mulawin spelled backwards, by which moniker he’s also known).

"Pinaglihi ko yan sa siopao at lanzones," revealed Mom Analiza.

An honor pupil at the Muzon Elementary School in Taytay, BJ/Tolits is a regular kid, unaware that he is a star in his own right.

"He doesn’t even know that he’s an artista already," said Mom Analiza. "Normal pa rin ang buhay niya."

During a recent outdoor shoot for Eat, Bulaga!, BJ/Tolits played with the kiddie on-lookers just like what any normal kid would do. Commented Bulaga! co-host Ruby Rodriguez, "Tingnan mo si BJ/Tolits, parang hindi artista."

But for how long will BJ/Tolits remain "normal"?

Not the solution?

I just got the following rejoinder from Pampanga Rep. Francis Nepomuceno, reacting to a Funfare item about MTRCB chief Ma. Consoliza Laguardia’s suggestion to move showbiz talk shows to the graveyard timeslot. The letter has been slightly edited because, as Rep. Nepomuceno believes TV stations should do, we also practice "self-regulation" here in The STAR. Here it is:

Thank you so much for enlightening the public in your column titled, Showbiz talk shows to graveyard airtime?

The proposal of Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chief Ma. Consoliza Laguardia to push the showbiz talk shows between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. is not the ultimate solution to the nagging problem plaguing the TV industry.

The Filipino people are not amused with her move. This is adding insult to injury.

The MTRCB is allowed under Presidential Decree 1986 to penalize the TV stations to the extent of closing them. Sadly, the MTRCB is blowing hot and cold. That is why TV people gravely abused by showing indecent and scandalous acts to the detriment of the innocent children and even adults.

Laguardia’s claim that she respects freedom of expression and self-regulation are lame excuses and will not hold water. As chair of the MTRCB, she took an oath to perform her duties to serve the interest of the country, implement the law and not otherwise.

Please allow me to remind Laguardia that under the Constitution, freedom of expression is not absolute. It has limitations under a civilized, democratic society which is governed by the laws of the land. Likewise, there is a Constitutional provision to protect the children from any kind of abuse including the one coming from television.

Our people have reached the limits of their patience. For two years now I have been admonishing the MTRCB to stop vulgarity on TV to no avail. Why is the MTRCB hard-headed and continuously insists on self-regulation when this is not the intention of PD 1986? Besides, self-regulation failed miserably.

I wish that TV stations will be more sensitive and remember their responsibility towards the public. Let us all unite and help cleanse the TV industry in order to build a bright future for our children.

Best regards.

Thank you.

Very truly yours,

– Francis L. Nepomuceno

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