Carmen Soo insists: Not guilty!

Suspected to have caused the break-up of Jericho Rosales and Heart Evangelista (actually the one who hinted at it), Malaysian actress Carmen Soo (Soo Wai Ming), insisted for the nth time that she’s innocent as charged.

“I’m not guilty,” she told Funfare in a manner so sweet and charming that would convince you she’s not a boyfriend-grabber. “I learned about the break-up more than a month after it happened.”

Seventy-five percent Chinese (her father is pure Chinese) and 25 percent British (her mother is half-Chinese and half-British), Carmen is Jericho’s leading lady (with Cristine Reyes and Christopher de Leon among their co-stars) in the ABS-CBN teleserye Kahit Isang Saglit (in collaboration with Malaysia’s Double Vision) which premieres next Monday, Sept. 15. It’s directed by the late Gilbert Perez in whose memory it is titled. Gilbert’s first movie direction was Star Cinema’s Kahit Isang Saglit which stars Judy Ann Santos, Leandro Muñoz and Piolo Pascual (theme song by Martin Nievera is again used in the teleserye).

Even if Jericho had duly informed her about the licentiousness of the Philippine press during the shoot of the teleserye in Malaysia (where Jericho is very popular, owing to airing there of his teleserye starrers, especially Pangako Sa’yo), Carmen said that still experienced “culture shock” when she first came in March to help promote Saglit and was confronted on her arrival at the NAIA with questions about the Jericho-Heart break-up.

“If the rumor was true,” said Carmen who can speak fluent Malay, Mandarin and English (that’s why she can star in movies in any of the three languages back in Malaysia), “we would probably be together by now.”

Like Jericho who said he’s coping pretty well with “being happily single,” Carmen is also fancy-free, having broken up with her Malaysian boyfriend a year ago. (Cristine Reyes herself has split up with Dennis Trillo only recently.)

“Jericho is a good friend and a good actor,” smiled Carmen, adding in jest, “but not a good tour guide.”

She said that it’s easy to fall in love with the Philippines.

What about falling for a Filipino Romeo?

“You can never tell,” she said.

Asked how she would react if Jericho would court her, Carmen broke into her endearing bedimpled smile.

“I’ll think about it when the time comes.”

Will Grace Poe run in 2010?

Because celebrities from both showbiz and politics casually rubbed elbows during Grace Poe’s SRO 40th-birthday celebration at El Circulo (just beside Milky Way, Pasay Road, Makati City) Wednesday last week (Sept. 3), the general consensus was that the event felt more like a “political convention.”

Thus, the big question: Is the daughter of Susan Roces and FPJ Da King going to spring a surprise come 2010?

“She’s winnable,” said a political analyst.

Take a good look at the who’s-who at Grace’s party, with mom Susan, cousin Sheryl Cruz and Grace’s Piolo Pascual-lookalike husband Neil Llamanzares (and their three children) helping the Birthday Girl entertain her well-wishers).

Do you see any “tell-tale” sign?

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