Vilma on ‘wait-and-see’ mode

Curtain-raisers:

• Did you know that Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri has beaten his colleagues to the purchase of the rights of the popular Lito Camo song Boom Tarat Tarat (used as intro of a segment in Wowowee)? Migs will use the song as jingle for his campaign when he runs for senator in this May’s elections. It would go something like this: Boom tarat-tarat, boom tarat-tarat; Zubiri, Zubiri sa Senado. Boom, boom, boom! How much did Migs pay for the rights? "Basta," said a Funfare DPA. "Malaki. To the tune of...basta, mahal!" Boom, boom, boom!

• The tragic, untimely death of Raymond Pagdanganan, son of Bulacan ex-Gov. Obet Pagdanganan, early last Sunday (Jan. 21) morning came as a shock to the fans of the boy band Orange & Lemons. Probably not many people know that Raymond was rhythm guitarist of the band during the group’s high school and college days. He died of internal hemorrhage hours after he figured in a car accident at 2 a.m. along MacArthur Highway in Malolos, Bulacan, on his way home from what newspaper and TV reports said was a party. In that party with his ex-Orange & Lemons bandmates in Malolos, Raymond and good friends Mcoy and Clem (also of Orange & Lemons) made plans for his (Raymond’s) birthday next month when he would have turned 27.

• From Jamie Rivera: ASAP gave me a tribute last Sunday (Jan. 21) in its Music Room segment and I really appreciate it. However, I want to make some corrections on the composers of some of my songs. I’ve Fallen For You was written and composed by Jay Donna Montelibano Mcloed, Mahal Naman Kita by Marizen Yaneza Soriano and Love Me Again by Homer Flores. My apologies to the composers. In the "cargen" last Sunday, it was wrongly written that I wrote the lyrics of the three songs. I just want to give credit where credit is due.

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A few issues ago, Funfare reported that Lipa City third/final-termer Mayor Vilma Santos is running for congressman of Batangas in this May’s elections. (That same story mentioned Christopher de Leon as running for vice governor of Batangas.) According to reports, there’s a clamor for her to run for governor.

"Nothing is definite yet," Mayor Vi told Funfare the other day. "The situation in the province is still uncertain. I have to wait and see."

Batangas was gripped with tension when Gov. Armand Sanchez was suspended by the Ombudsman but was eventually able to get a TRO from the Court of Appeals. He’s being challenged in the May elections by his vice governor, Ricky Recto, who is the younger brother of Vilma’s husband, Sen. Ralph Recto.

Now, if Ricky does run, Vilma will have no choice but to give way.

"It won’t look good if Ricky and I will run against each other," said Mayor Vi. "The Batangueños might say, ‘How can they unite the people when the (Rectos themselves) are not united?’ It would be a tricky situation."

Therefore, will she opt to run for congressman instead?

"Wait and see muna ako," added Mayor Vi, asking, "What do you think?"

If I were you, I told her, I’d retire from politics and enjoy life, something she hasn’t really done since she joined showbiz at age 9.

"But," she said, "my constituents are clamoring for me to run."

So...tuloy ang ligaya?

Familiar faces in Bb. Pilipinas tilt

Meanwhile, here’s a report from Funfare’s "beauty experts" Felix Manuel, Joey Cezeare, Gery Yumping and Francis Calubaquib:

Beauty pageant experts, aficionados, family and friends of aspirants flocked to the Araneta Centre Expo Centro last Saturday, Jan. 20, to wait for the announcement of this year's official candidates to the Bb. Pilipinas pageant.

From a field of 97 aspirants, 32 made it. The screening panel, composed of several former title-holders and leaders in the pageant scene, had a hard time picking the best among the very competitive batch.

Three familiar faces on television have made it to the final list.

They are:

• Maggie Wilson who stars in Asian Treasures. She’s the favorite of pageant aficionados. Touted as the next Ruffa Gutierrez, she will celebrate her 18th birthday in March and she hopes that winning one of the crowns would be her birthday gift.

• Ailyn Luna, StarStruck 2 Avenger, wowed many of the spectators with her charm and beauty; and

• Missy Gallosa, one of the 26 girls featured in ABS-CBN's Deal or No Deal.

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